In August 2020, a notable organization faced a cybersecurity incident involving unauthorized access to its network. This event led to the encryption of numerous files and the subsequent exposure of some data. As a result, a regulatory body imposed a financial penalty on the organization for not adequately protecting personal data.

How many accounts were compromised?

The breach impacted data related to approximately 113,000 individuals.

What data was leaked?

The data exposed in the breach included personal data and special category data, such as basic identifiers, health data, economic and financial data, criminal convictions, and data revealing racial or ethnic origin.

How was Entertainment Partners hacked?

The attacker exploited a known system vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to the law firm's network, encrypting files and releasing some of them on underground data marketplaces. The exact method used by the attacker remains unclear.

Entertainment Partners's solution

In response to the data breach, Entertainment Partners took steps to address the security issues identified by the ICO. While the exact measures taken remain unclear, the ICO's findings emphasized the importance of implementing multi-factor authentication, encrypting data at rest, applying high-risk security patches in a timely manner, and deleting stored data after the retention period. It is likely that Entertainment Partners focused on these areas to enhance their security and prevent future hacking incidents.

How do I know if I was affected?

It is not mentioned whether Entertainment Partners reached out to affected users. However, if you believe you may have been affected by the breach and haven't received a notification, you can visit HaveIBeenPwned to check your credentials.

What should affected users do?

In general, affected users should:

• Change Your Passwords: Immediately update your passwords for any accounts that may have been affected. Make sure the new passwords are strong and unique, not previously used on any other platform.

• Reset Passwords for Other Accounts: If you've used the same or similar passwords for other online accounts, reset those as well. This is crucial as attackers often try using stolen passwords on multiple sites.

• Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Activate 2FA on any affected accounts. Consider enabling this additional security feature on all other important online accounts to significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access.

• Monitor Your Accounts: Keep an eye on your accounts for any suspicious activity and report it immediately to the respective platform.

For more specific help and instructions related to Entertainment Partners's data breach, please contact Entertainment Partners support directly.

Where can I go to learn more?

If you want to find more information on the Entertainment Partners data breach, check out the following news articles:

• ICO issues £98,000 penalty following ransomware attack - Entertainment Partners