Danish jewelry retailer Pandora has disclosed a data breach involving customer information after attackers accessed data through a third-party platform. The company confirmed the incident in emails sent to potentially impacted customers.
Pandora emphasized that its internal systems were not compromised, and the cyberattack was contained. According to the company, only “very common types of data” were accessed, and no sensitive or financial information was exposed.
“We can confirm that a data breach has occurred involving some customer information accessed through a third-party platform we use. Importantly, only basic data was affected, no sensitive or financial information was compromised. Our internal systems remain unaffected and are operating normally,” Pandora said in a statement.
The compromised data is believed to include names and email addresses, according to cybersecurity researcher Aras Nazarovas. He added that this incident does not appear to be ransomware-related:
“It’s more likely that a solo hacker dumped the two specific fields (name and email address) from a database they were able to access,” said Nazarovas.
He also suggested that the breach might have targeted a third-party email service provider used for marketing campaigns, similar to SendGrid or MailChimp.
No Evidence of Data Leak Yet, But Risks Remain
Pandora has checked extensively for any signs of the stolen data being shared publicly and found no evidence of leaks on known data leak sites. However, researchers warn that the data could still surface in private channels:
“It’s common for hackers to have some small, private circles or group chats where they share or sell such data, so even if it isn’t publicly available, it might still be abused or sold,” said Nazarovas.
Pandora has urged affected customers to exercise caution:
“As a precautionary measure, we recommend that you pay extra attention to unusual emails and online activities prompting for your data, as this could be phishing attempts from third parties pretending to be associated with Pandora,” the company stated in its advisory.
“Therefore, we recommend that you do not click on links or download attachments from unknown sources.”
Retailers Remain a Prime Target
This breach adds to a growing list of attacks targeting global retailers. Recent incidents have affected major names such as Marks & Spencer (M&S), Harrods, and Co-op. The attack on M&S was particularly costly, with losses estimated at £300 million ($409 million).
In July, British police arrested four individuals linked to the cyberattacks on M&S, Harrods, and Co-op.
Cybersecurity experts warn that retailers remain high-value targets for cybercriminals, especially those seeking customer data. Dr. Darren Williams, CEO of cybersecurity firm BlackFog, said the Pandora breach is a stark reminder that these attacks are increasing in frequency and sophistication.
