Zoomcar Cybersecurity Breach Affects 8.4 million Users as Hacker Accesses Data

Zoomcar, the popular car-sharing company, has confirmed that it suffered a major cybersecurity breach. A hacker got into the company’s systems and stole the personal information of at least 8.4 million users. This includes names, phone numbers, and car registration numbers as reported by TechCrunch.

The company found out about the breach on June 9, after some of its employees received strange messages from someone claiming to have accessed Zoomcar’s data. Soon after, Zoomcar began investigating and officially informed the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) about the issue.

What Information Was Stolen?

Zoomcar is based in Bengaluru and operates in 99 cities, including places outside India like Egypt, Indonesia, and Vietnam. It has more than 10 million users and over 25,000 cars listed on its platform.

Zoomcar said that the hacker got access to users’ names, mobile numbers, and car registration details. In some cases, email addresses and home addresses may also have been leaked. The car-sharing company said that more sensitive information, like bank details, passwords, and payment information, was not taken.

“There is no evidence that financial information, plaintext passwords, or other sensitive identifiers were compromised,” Zoomcar said in its official statement.

Still, this is a case of serious data leak, as phone numbers and car details have been exposed, which could lead to unwanted calls, messages, or even scams. This isn’t the first time Zoomcar has faced a breach. Back in 2018, data of around 3.5 million users was leaked. But this time, the number of affected users is much higher, making this Zoomcar’s biggest data exposure so far.

Zoomcar said the breach had not caused any problems with its day-to-day operations. “To date, the incident has not resulted in any material disruption to the company’s operations,” the company said. However, Zoomcar has not yet clearly said whether it has informed users directly about the breach or if it knows who the hacker is.

What is Zoomcar Doing Now?

As soon as Zoomcar became aware of the hacking, the company activated its incident response plan to limit the damage and protect its systems. It has added extra layers of security to its cloud storage and internal networks. It is now keeping a closer eye on system activity and has also reviewed who has access to its data systems.

To make sure everything is properly handled, Zoomcar has hired external cybersecurity experts. They are helping the company investigate how the breach happened and how to stop it from happening again. Zoomcar has also contacted the proper law enforcement and government authorities and is working closely with them.

Even though Zoomcar claims it is doing everything it can, many users remain concerned. Millions of accounts on Zoomcar have been compromised, and the company hasn’t said much about what users should do next or whether the stolen data is being used anywhere.

Zoomcar users need to stay alert and watch out for any suspicious messages, emails, or calls. Don’t click on links that seem odd, and never share your details unless you are sure who you are talking to.

Zoomcar’s cybersecurity breach is a reminder that even well-known companies can face hacking attacks, and your personal information can be at risk. The company’s biggest challenge is to regain the trust of its users and needs to show that it can keep customer information safe.