In May 2018, Ticketfly, a ticket distribution service, experienced a significant data breach that led to the unauthorized exposure of millions of user accounts. The attacker claimed to have warned Ticketfly of a vulnerability and requested a ransom, which was not met. As a consequence, the breached data was posted online.

How many accounts were compromised?

The breach impacted data related to approximately 26.2 million individuals.

What data was leaked?

The data exposed in the breach included email addresses, names, phone numbers, and physical addresses of affected users.

How was Ticketfly hacked?

In May 2018, Ticketfly fell victim to a cyber attack that forced the company to take its services offline. The attacker replaced the website's homepage with an image of the character V from the 2005 film "V for Vendetta" and a message stating, "Your Security Down im Not Sorry. Next time I will publish database 'backstage.'" The hacker claimed to have warned Ticketfly of a vulnerability on its website and requested a ransom of 1 bitcoin to fix it. When the ransom was not paid, the attacker leaked over 26 million email addresses, along with names, phone numbers, and physical addresses, to a public server.

Ticketfly's solution

In response to the hack, Ticketfly took several measures to secure its platform and prevent future incidents. Although specific details about the enhanced security measures were not available in the sources, Ticketfly did consult with third-party forensic cybersecurity experts after the cyber attack.

How do I know if I was affected?

Individuals who suspect their information may have been compromised can visit HaveIBeenPwned, a platform that monitors data breaches and can notify individuals if their data has been disclosed in recognized data leaks. By entering their email address in the search field provided on the webpage, users can check if their credentials were affected by the Ticketfly breach or any other known data breaches.

What should affected users do?

In general, affected users should:

1. Change Your Password: Immediately update your password for the breached account. Make sure the new password is strong and unique, and not previously used on any other platform.

2. 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.

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

Where can I go to learn more?

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

• Ticketfly Breach Exposed 27 Million Customers’ Data | Pitchfork

• Ticketfly is back online after a hack exposed about 27 million accounts. Here’s what you need to know. - The Washington Post

• Ticketfly Class Action Says Data Breach Compromised 26M User Accounts - Top Class Actions