Zendesk acknowledge breach of 10,000 customers’ personal data three years after event

Exploit: Unauthorized database access
Zendesk: Customer service software company

Risk to Small Business: 1.888 = Severe: More than three years after the event, Zendesk acknowledged a data breach after a third party notified the customer service software company of unauthorized data access. The breach impacts Support and Chat accounts, and it includes personal data from all categories of Zendesk users, including customers, agents, and end users. The company is resetting all passwords for users that registered before November 1, 2016. However, the platform touts many high-profile companies as clients, which means that the breach could have far-reaching repercussions for all stakeholders involved.

Individual Risk: 2.285 = Severe: The personal details of customers, agents, and end users were compromised in the breach. This includes names, email addresses, phone numbers, passwords, and other technically-oriented data. The company is contacting all customers who could be impacted by the breach, and those affected should reset their Zendesk passwords and any redundant passwords used on other platforms.

Customers Impacted: 10,000
How it Could Affect Your Customers’ Business: When it comes to protecting customer data, speed and precision are your best friends. Unfortunately, too many companies don’t have the IT capabilities to identify a data breach or to adequately investigate an event after it happens. As a result, customer data can virtually linger indefinitely before protective action can be taken, such as changing passwords or otherwise ensuring data integrity. This incident serves as an important reminder that every business needs to enlist in services that help proactively monitor and protect customer data.

Risk Levels:

1 - 1.5 = Extreme Risk
1.51 - 2.49 = Severe Risk
2.5 - 3 = Moderate Risk

*The risk score is calculated using a formula that considers a wide range of factors related to the assessed breach.