Ever open your music app for a soothing playlist and be met with bad news instead? That's what happened with Pandora this week. The company confirmed that some customer data was stolen after hackers struck systems that are related to Salesforce—and it's not an isolated attack. It's part of a broader wave of cyberattacks on big brands.
Here's Pandora's lowdown:
How to protect yourself now
How it went down
Pandora uses Salesforce systems to handle customer data. Cyberthieves just figured out how to access those systems, Pandora's included, as well as at least a few other companies'. Sorry it like a public apartment house—once in, they can try all the doors.Here's Pandora's lowdown:
- Hackers obtained names, email addresses, and some account data.
- No credit cards and passwords were compromised (at least that's the rumor so far).
- Security staff are now working overtime repairing the leaks.
Why it's a big deal
Yes, they didn't succeed in stealing your credit card, but names and email addresses are still worth something. Spammers just love to exploit them as phishing scams—sending you a pretend message looking real hoping you'll click on a link or share more personal details. Ever gotten an "Account suspended" email that scared you? That's their trick.Salesforce on the brink
Salesforce is gigantic—used by thousands of companies. That leaves one weak point potentially sending shockwaves to millions of users. Pandora is just the latest name in the headlines, but it probably won't be the last if this kind of attack persists.How to protect yourself now
- Change your Pandora password today.
- Don't reuse a password on several sites.
- Turn on two-factor authentication for extra security.
- Snooze on dodgy mails asking for your details.