Samsung warns of a security breach that gave hackers access to US customer data

Samsung has revealed limited details of a security incident that took place earlier in the year, exposing the personal data of customers in the US.

The technology giant says that the data breach took place back in July when "an unauthorized third party acquired information from some of Samsung's US systems". No details about who may have been responsible have been released, and Samsung has issued a warning for customers to exercise caution.

See also:

• Update Chrome immediately -- Google releases emergency patch for serious security issue
• Microsoft undercovers high severity vulnerability which could allow one-click hijacking of TikTok accounts
• Google launches new Open Source Software Vulnerability Rewards Program (OSS VRP)

While a security incident involving customer data at such a large company is worrying, the breach is not as bad as it could have been. Samsung has emailed anyone whose data was involved in the incident, so if you haven't heard anything, you should be in the clear -- but this is not guaranteed.

In a message posted in its security response center, Samsung says:

At Samsung, security is a top priority. We recently discovered a cybersecurity incident that affected some customer information.

In late July 2022, an unauthorized third party acquired information from some of Samsung's US systems. On or around August 4, 2022, we determined through our ongoing investigation that personal information of certain customers was affected. We have taken actions to secure the affected systems, and have engaged a leading outside cybersecurity firm and are coordinating with law enforcement.

We want to assure our customers that the issue did not impact Social Security numbers or credit and debit card numbers, but in some cases, may have affected information such as name, contact and demographic information, date of birth, and product registration information. The information affected for each relevant customer may vary. We are notifying customers to make them aware of this matter.

At Samsung, we value the trust our customers place in our products and services -- trust that we have built up over many years. By working with industry-leading experts, we will further enhance the security of our systems – and our customers' personal information -- and work to maintain the trust our customers have put into the Samsung brand for more than 40 years.

Below are FAQs about the incident and additional recommended actions our customers can take to help protect their information. If you'd like to check your credit report, you are entitled under U.S. law to one free credit report annually from each of the three major nationwide credit reporting agencies.

We regret any inconvenience this may cause our valued customers and appreciate their trust in us.

The FAQ is available here.

Image credit: rafapress / depositphotos