This article is from page 6 of the 2013-11-12 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 6 JPG
CUSTOMERS of a Clare-based company that operates a loyalty rewards business have been warned that there was a breach in its data security, but there is no evidence as yet if any personal information was compromised. The cyber attack on LoyaltyBuild in Ennis could affect up to 43,000 customers who booked getaway breaks through the Clare born com- pany which recorded pre-tax profits of € 4.5 million last year. The company was sold in 2008 by businessmen Dominic Considine, Domhnal Slattery and Sean Lyne for € 25 million to American company Affinion. LoyaltyBuild operates loyalty schemes on behalf of three companies – Super Valu, Axa and Stena Line – and said that customers who booked breaks in the last three months may be affected. Credit and debit card details belonging to customers may have been compromised following the cyber attack however the company stressed that CVV (Card Verification Value) numbers – generally needed to complete online transactions – were not stored. Suspicion about a possible breach emerged on Friday, October 25, and a team of “expert forensic investigators” was appointed to determine what had happened. On Wednesday, October 30, it emerged that a breach may have occurred and it contacted the Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) on the Friday. A spokesman for the Data Protection Commission said its systems were encrypted, and it was not clear how much information had been taken. “The systems were encrypted, including credit card and contact numbers. They [LoyaltyBuild] took the step of notifying individuals just in case,” the office said. Customers were advised however to monitor credit card use on their accounts or take measures to alter their details like PIN numbers, or seek advice from their credit card provider. It is understood it may take up to a fortnight to determine how much information was taken.