A recent hack suffered by prominent video game developer Capcom may have claimed the personal information of approximately 350,000 fans. Capcom is best known for the Resident Evil and Monster Hunter franchises; the most recent games in these franchises are the two most successful games Capcom has ever released. The company is also responsible for the classic platformer series Mega Man.
Earlier this month, the company reported that it had been the victim of a major hack. Hackers got access to Capcom's internal servers, leading the company to shut down all operations until the hackers could be rebuffed. Fortunately, the event caused little to no disruption to people playing Capcom's games and browsing its online services. In fact, at the time Capcom reported that no data relating to Capcom customers was involved in the hack at all.
Unfortunately, this no longer seems to be the case. A report issued by Capcom today goes into detail about what was impacted by the hack. The company has verified that a handful of current and former employees had their information leaked by the hackers, who also gained access to Capcom's sales reports and financial information. The company has also elaborated on some information that was potentially leaked, and unfortunately, this includes the personal information of approximately 350,000 customers. The information was gleaned from customer service records, store member info, and eSports operations team members. Capcom insisted that none of the at-risk data includes sales info, which is a small comfort at least. The company also cannot confirm the scope of the data that was leaked, so it's providing the maximum possible number of leaked items. The real impact could be much smaller.
The video game industry is rife with leaks of varying size and scope. The more prominent a video game company is, the more tantalizing a target it makes for hackers eager to learn its secrets and spoil them online. Ubisoft was recently the target of one such leak; in that case, the hackers weren't after personal and financial information, but rather the source code for Watch Dogs: Legion. Now that that data is on the loose, modders should be able to alter the game to their heart's delight and introduce all manner of bizarre new changes.
The Capcom leak is obviously a much less benign hack than that one was. Personal information getting leaked is no joke, and it's disappointing that Capcom wasn't able to secure its customer base more effectively, especially after it claimed that no personal information had been affected at all. Video game players deserve to feel safe and secure while indulging in their favorite pastime, and Capcom has definitely let them down. Hopefully it will secure its servers better in the future.
Source: Capcom