If you’re a customer of Southern Water then these may be nerve-racking times as the supplier has revealed that data belonging to five to ten per cent of its customers has been stolen by cybercriminals.
In an alarming email sent out to customers on Tuesday 13th February, the company, which supplies water services to households and businesses across Sussex, Hampshire, Kent and the Isle of Wight, informed customers that personal details and financial information may have been stolen for sale on the dark web.
The company also offered its apologies and assured customers it was working with regulators and cyber experts to determine the scale and specific details of the breach.
After being named on a cybercrime website last month, the company said it had noticed suspicious activity on its IT systems and it now appears sensitive data including names, dates of birth, national insurance numbers, bank account details and reference numbers could have been stolen.
In a statement, the company said: “Based on our forensic investigations so far, which are ongoing, we are planning to notify in the order of five to ten per cent of our customer base to let them know that their personal data has been impacted.
“We are also notifying all of our current employees and some former employees.
“We have engaged leading independent cybersecurity experts to monitor the ‘dark web’. We take data protection and information security very seriously and, in accordance with our regulatory obligations, we are making contact with anyone whose personal data may be at risk.”
Growing Cyber Threat
This news comes on the back of a warning from credit reference agency Moody’s, which just a week earlier warned the UK’s water companies that they are at an ‘elevated’ risk of hacking from cyber attackers looking to gain access to customer information.
What’s even more alarming is Moody’s said malicious actors may even target our drinking water, which could be catastrophic for public health. Thankfully, Southern Water confirmed no services or supplies had been affected during this incident.
This latest case comes after an incident in 2022 where hackers managed to steal data of South Staffordshire Water customers, so it’s clear water companies are now well and truly the targets of these cybercriminals, with Southern Water once again in the crosshairs of hackers.
Comparing Water
If you’re a customer of any of the companies mentioned above then you may well be concerned about your data being accessed. After all, this is often sensitive information, so no donut you’ll want to know the company that’s handling it is doing so responsibly.
With the threat of cyber criminals accessing your data and potentially even sabotaging the supply on the rise, it’s clear these water companies are now under pressure to safeguard themselves and their customers from the threat.
The question is, are they up to the challenge? Sadly, many of the country’s leading suppliers have been in the news for all the wrong reasons as of late, so many aren’t exactly filled with confidence, to say the least!
Here at SwiftSwitch, we believe incidents like these highlight the importance of comparing water suppliers to ensure you’re partnering with the very best company possible.
When it comes to finding the right water supplier, some of them are more careful with your data than others, as we’ve seen.
At SwiftSwitch we offer detailed information on many different water suppliers and we keep our ear close to the ground with regards to industry news and developments. So you’ll have all the info you need to make an informed choice on your supplier.
Another benefit of using a broker like us is we can help you compare prices to ensure you get the best value on your tariff, so if you want to pair up with a reliable company that will also help you save money, speak to us today!
