Personal data of job seekers compromised in cyber attack
- Costa Coffee’s parent company Whitbread suffers data breach
- Personal information of job applicants exposed
- Cyber attack on recruitment agency PageUp
- Data includes home address, email, phone number, maiden name, and more
- Intrusion discovered on May 28
- No active threat confirmed by Whitbread last month
- UK Information Commissioner’s Office notified
- Applicants report spam calls after breach
Whitbread, the parent company of Costa Coffee, has experienced a data breach that exposed personal information of job applicants. The incident involved a malware attack on its recruitment agency, PageUp, potentially leaking data such as home address, email address, telephone number, maiden name, date of birth, and country of residence. The breach was first detected on May 23, but it wasn’t until May 28 that Whitbread realized the attack had taken place. Last month, the company confirmed there was no longer an active threat and notified the UK Information Commissioner’s Office about the data breach, although it is unclear when Whitbread and other clients became aware of the incident. Some applicants affected by the breach have reported receiving emails from Whitbread stating their data had been compromised and experiencing increased spam calls.
Factuality Level: 7
Factuality Justification: The article provides accurate and relevant information about the data breach at Whitbread’s recruitment agency, PageUp, without any significant issues related to digressions, sensationalism, redundancy, or personal perspective. However, it could have included more details on the extent of the breach and the number of affected individuals.
Noise Level: 3
Noise Justification: The article provides relevant information about a data breach at Whitbread’s recruitment agency, PageUp, but lacks in-depth analysis and actionable insights.
Financial Relevance: Yes
Financial Markets Impacted: Whitbread’s stock price and the reputation of Costa Coffee brand
Financial Rating Justification: The data breach at Whitbread, the parent company of Costa Coffee, could potentially impact their financial performance as it may affect customer trust and lead to a decline in sales. Additionally, the exposure of personal information of job candidates could result in legal consequences or fines from regulatory bodies, which would have an impact on their financials.
Presence Of Extreme Event: Yes
Nature Of Extreme Event: Technological Disruption
Impact Rating Of The Extreme Event: Minor
Extreme Rating Justification: A data breach at Whitbread’s recruitment agency, PageUp, exposed personal information of job candidates. The impact is considered minor due to the nature of the exposed data and no reports of severe consequences so far.
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