Cartier Reports Some Customer Data Stolen in Cyberattack

Cartier, the luxury jewellery company owned by Richemont had its website hacked and some client data stolen, it told customers according to an email seen by Reuters.

The company, whose watches, necklaces and bracelets have been worn by Taylor Swift, Angelina Jolie and Michelle Obama, said “an unauthorised party gained temporary access to our system.”

“Limited client information,” such as names, e-mail addresses and countries, had been obtained, said Cartier in the email sent to customers on Tuesday.

“The affected information did not include any passwords, credit card details or other banking information,” Cartier said, adding it had since contained the issue.

The company said it had further enhanced the protection of its systems and data, as well as informed the relevant authorities, and was also working with “leading external cybersecurity experts.”

Cartier did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The attack is the latest case of a company being targeted by cyber criminals.

British retailer Marks & Spencer said last month a “highly sophisticated and targeted” cyberattack in April will cost it about £300 million ($405 million) in lost profits.

French luxury house Dior, owned by LVMH also reported last month that hackers had stolen data from its customers, but insisted no financial data was involved, according to Le Monde newspaper.

Fashion brand The North Face, owned by VF Corporation has also emailed some customers, saying it discovered a “small-scale” attack in April this year.

The company told customers the hackers used “credential stuffing,” trying usernames and passwords stolen from another data breach in the hope customers have reused the credentials across multiple accounts, the BBC said on Tuesday.

London department store Harrods also said last month that hackers had attempted to break into its systems, following incidents at Marks & Spencer, and the Co-op Group.

By John Revill; Editing by Tomasz Janowski

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Explainer: How Retailers Can Fight a New Wave of Cyberattacks

A series of breaches at high-profile retailers like Victoria’s Secret and Marks & Spencer is putting cybersecurity back in the foreground. BoF examines what leaves fashion businesses vulnerable and how they can protect themselves.