Live Nation Entertainment, the owner of Ticketmaster, is currently investigating a data breach that was discovered on May 20th. The breach involved unauthorized activity in a third-party cloud database that primarily contained Ticketmaster data. Live Nation is working with forensic investigators to address the issue.
Last week, a hacking group known as ShinyHunters claimed to have stolen user data from over 500 million Ticketmaster customers. The group allegedly has access to names, addresses, phone numbers, and partial credit card information of users worldwide. They are demanding a ransom of $500,000 US and threatening to sell the data if the ransom is not paid.
In response to the breach, Live Nation stated that a criminal threat actor offered what was believed to be company user data for sale on the dark web. The company is taking steps to mitigate risks to users and is cooperating with law enforcement. They are also notifying regulatory authorities and affected users about the unauthorized access to personal information.
The breach comes at a time when Live Nation is facing regulatory scrutiny over antitrust concerns. The company was recently sued by the U.S. government and states for allegedly inflating concert ticket prices through its Ticketmaster unit. Despite the breach, Live Nation has stated that it is unlikely to have a material impact on its business operations or financials.
As the investigation into the data breach continues, Live Nation is evaluating the risks and working on remediation efforts. The company has not disclosed the specific personal information that was breached and has not confirmed the identity of the hacking group involved. They are committed to addressing the issue and ensuring the security of their users' data.