GM’s Data Breach Could Prove Disastrous

General Motors has confirmed it has suffered a data breach as a result of a cyberattack that occurred in April. The company said the breach was detected following suspicious activity on GM online accounts, reports cybernews. The motive behind the attack is unclear, however, the incident has led to the unauthorized redemption of reward points for gift cards.

In response, GM promptly informed users of the attack and required them to reset their passwords. GM also disabled one of the features related to the online accounts of users. The communique sent out to GM customers notes that cybercriminals may have gained access to personal information, such as email and residential addresses. Personal data such as credit card information and social security numbers are not included.

The carmaker is urging customers to not use the same passwords across various platforms; General Motors is of the opinion that login credentials were acquired outside of the company’s networks. Aside from informing customers, the automaker has also suspended the gift card feature and reported it to law enforcement.

This isn’t the first instance of a motor manufacturer falling victim to cyberattacks. In February, Toyota was forced to suspend production in Japan after an unknown attacker crippled the factory, resulting in a shutdown. Thankfully, GM’s cyberattack won’t impede the manufacturing of vehicles like the Corvette Stingray, which has already had to contend with several production setbacks.

There’s no denying technology has improved vehicle functionality and brought untold levels of convenience to consumers. But there’s a dark side to this, too. Modern vehicles have become increasingly reliant on connected technology and software, which can sometimes lead to peculiar situations.

In March, a Tesla owner took to Reddit to point out the privacy violation he discovered in his secondhand vehicle. Looking through the vehicle’s app, he was able to uncover private information that could be used for crimes such as fraud or identity theft. “His name, address, account number, and previous payment history [were] all there,” he wrote.