/

What happened in the Guntrader data breach?

What happened in the Guntrader data breach?

Twingate Team

May 9, 2024

In July 2021, Guntrader, a UK-based firearms sales website, experienced a data breach that resulted in the exposure of personal information of its users. The breach led to the publication of the stolen data on the dark web, causing significant concern for the affected individuals. As a consequence, the company faced legal challenges and called in liquidators, while continuing to operate under a new business entity, Guntrader 2 Ltd. The incident highlights the importance of robust security measures to protect sensitive user data and the potential consequences of failing to do so.

How many accounts were compromised?

The breach impacted data related to approximately 112,000 individuals.

What data was leaked?

The data exposed in the breach encompassed browser user agent details, email addresses, geographic locations, IP addresses, names, passwords, phone numbers, physical addresses, and salutations.

How was Guntrader hacked?

Hackers breached the Guntrader website, stealing a database containing details of around 112,000 registered users between 2016 and 2021. The stolen data, including names, email addresses, phone numbers, and geolocation data, was later published on the dark web. Although specific methods used by the hackers were not disclosed, a SQL vulnerability or misconfiguration was suggested as a possible cause for the data breach.

Guntrader's solution

In response to the data breach, Guntrader acknowledged the incident and replaced the old company with a new one, Guntrader Media Ltd. While specific enhanced security measures taken by Guntrader were not disclosed, the company contacted everyone they believed to be affected by the breach and encouraged users to change their passwords if they had used the Guntrader website in the last 5 to 6 years. The ongoing investigation by the Information Commissioner's Office and police continues, as they work to uncover the details of the hack and prevent future incidents.

How do I know if I was affected?

Guntrader has notified customers believed to be affected by the breach. If you're a Guntrader user and haven't received a notification, you may visit Have I Been Pwned to check your credentials.

What should affected users do?

In general, affected users should:

  • Change Your Password: Immediately update your password for the breached account. Make sure the new password is 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 the breached account and consider enabling this additional security feature on all other important online accounts to significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access.

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

Where can I go to learn more?

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

Rapidly implement a modern Zero Trust network that is more secure and maintainable than VPNs.

/

What happened in the Guntrader data breach?

What happened in the Guntrader data breach?

Twingate Team

May 9, 2024

In July 2021, Guntrader, a UK-based firearms sales website, experienced a data breach that resulted in the exposure of personal information of its users. The breach led to the publication of the stolen data on the dark web, causing significant concern for the affected individuals. As a consequence, the company faced legal challenges and called in liquidators, while continuing to operate under a new business entity, Guntrader 2 Ltd. The incident highlights the importance of robust security measures to protect sensitive user data and the potential consequences of failing to do so.

How many accounts were compromised?

The breach impacted data related to approximately 112,000 individuals.

What data was leaked?

The data exposed in the breach encompassed browser user agent details, email addresses, geographic locations, IP addresses, names, passwords, phone numbers, physical addresses, and salutations.

How was Guntrader hacked?

Hackers breached the Guntrader website, stealing a database containing details of around 112,000 registered users between 2016 and 2021. The stolen data, including names, email addresses, phone numbers, and geolocation data, was later published on the dark web. Although specific methods used by the hackers were not disclosed, a SQL vulnerability or misconfiguration was suggested as a possible cause for the data breach.

Guntrader's solution

In response to the data breach, Guntrader acknowledged the incident and replaced the old company with a new one, Guntrader Media Ltd. While specific enhanced security measures taken by Guntrader were not disclosed, the company contacted everyone they believed to be affected by the breach and encouraged users to change their passwords if they had used the Guntrader website in the last 5 to 6 years. The ongoing investigation by the Information Commissioner's Office and police continues, as they work to uncover the details of the hack and prevent future incidents.

How do I know if I was affected?

Guntrader has notified customers believed to be affected by the breach. If you're a Guntrader user and haven't received a notification, you may visit Have I Been Pwned to check your credentials.

What should affected users do?

In general, affected users should:

  • Change Your Password: Immediately update your password for the breached account. Make sure the new password is 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 the breached account and consider enabling this additional security feature on all other important online accounts to significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access.

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

Where can I go to learn more?

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

Rapidly implement a modern Zero Trust network that is more secure and maintainable than VPNs.

What happened in the Guntrader data breach?

Twingate Team

May 9, 2024

In July 2021, Guntrader, a UK-based firearms sales website, experienced a data breach that resulted in the exposure of personal information of its users. The breach led to the publication of the stolen data on the dark web, causing significant concern for the affected individuals. As a consequence, the company faced legal challenges and called in liquidators, while continuing to operate under a new business entity, Guntrader 2 Ltd. The incident highlights the importance of robust security measures to protect sensitive user data and the potential consequences of failing to do so.

How many accounts were compromised?

The breach impacted data related to approximately 112,000 individuals.

What data was leaked?

The data exposed in the breach encompassed browser user agent details, email addresses, geographic locations, IP addresses, names, passwords, phone numbers, physical addresses, and salutations.

How was Guntrader hacked?

Hackers breached the Guntrader website, stealing a database containing details of around 112,000 registered users between 2016 and 2021. The stolen data, including names, email addresses, phone numbers, and geolocation data, was later published on the dark web. Although specific methods used by the hackers were not disclosed, a SQL vulnerability or misconfiguration was suggested as a possible cause for the data breach.

Guntrader's solution

In response to the data breach, Guntrader acknowledged the incident and replaced the old company with a new one, Guntrader Media Ltd. While specific enhanced security measures taken by Guntrader were not disclosed, the company contacted everyone they believed to be affected by the breach and encouraged users to change their passwords if they had used the Guntrader website in the last 5 to 6 years. The ongoing investigation by the Information Commissioner's Office and police continues, as they work to uncover the details of the hack and prevent future incidents.

How do I know if I was affected?

Guntrader has notified customers believed to be affected by the breach. If you're a Guntrader user and haven't received a notification, you may visit Have I Been Pwned to check your credentials.

What should affected users do?

In general, affected users should:

  • Change Your Password: Immediately update your password for the breached account. Make sure the new password is 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 the breached account and consider enabling this additional security feature on all other important online accounts to significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access.

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

Where can I go to learn more?

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