Cyber Incident Victim: Web.com
Date:
Aug 2015
Location:
United States of America
Summary
A cybersecurity breach at Web.com compromised approximately 93,000 customers' names, addresses, and stored credit card information used for service payments, though social security numbers and card validation codes remained unaffected. The unauthorized access was detected through routine security monitoring and promptly terminated, prompting collaboration with an external IT security firm for investigation and notifications to credit card processors, federal authorities, and impacted individuals via email and mail. Affected customers were offered complimentary credit monitoring for one year and advised to monitor their payment cards for suspicious activity, representing a subset of the company's total 3.3 million customer base.
| CIA Posture | Motives | Tactics, Techniques & Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Available to members | 1 motive | 1 technique |
| Threat Actors | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 0 actors | Available to members | Available to members |
Description
In August 2015, Web.com, a prominent U.S. provider of internet services to small businesses, experienced a breach compromising payment card data and personal information of approximately 93,000 customers. The incident involved unauthorized access to one of the company’s computer systems, resulting in the theft of customer names, addresses, and credit card details used to pay for Web.com services. Social Security numbers and card validation codes were not accessed during the intrusion. Web.com detected the unauthorized activity on August 13, 2015, through routine security monitoring protocols. The company acted swiftly to terminate the attackers’ access but did not disclose the duration of the compromise or the specific methods used by the perpetrators. Following containment, Web.com engaged a nationally recognized IT security firm to conduct a forensic investigation and reported the incident to credit card processors, federal authorities, and state regulators. The breach impacted roughly 2.8% of Web.com’s total customer base of 3.3 million accounts.
Web.com initiated customer notifications through email and physical mail, advising recipients to monitor their payment card statements for suspicious activity. Customers who received no communication by August 30, 2015, were deemed unaffected. The company offered all impacted individuals one year of complimentary credit monitoring services. While Web.com emphasized its implementation of “strong and sophisticated” security measures prior to the breach, it acknowledged that no organization is fully immune to cybercrime. The compromised data specifically targeted billing information stored for service payments, excluding other potentially sensitive financial identifiers. No operational disruptions to Web.com’s services were reported as a direct consequence of the incident. The company’s public statement highlighted its collaboration with external cybersecurity experts and law enforcement but provided no additional details regarding the attackers’ identity or motives.