Cyber Incident Victim: 1-800-FLOWERS
Date:
Feb 2016
Location:
United States of America
Summary
1-800-FLOWERS experienced unauthorized access to its e-commerce platform following customer reports of transaction issues, prompting an investigation that identified a breach window spanning approximately 33 hours. An attacker potentially exposed customer order information including names, addresses, email addresses, and payment card details, though the company did not confirm specific data compromise. No malicious use of affected information had been reported at the time of disclosure, with payment card monitoring advised as a precautionary measure for impacted customers.
| 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
On February 15, 2016, 1-800-FLOWERS customer service representatives received multiple reports from customers unable to complete online purchases through the company’s e-commerce platform. This prompted an immediate investigation by the operations team, which identified evidence of unauthorized network access affecting systems supporting the online ordering infrastructure. The subsequent forensic analysis revealed that an unidentified third party had potentially compromised customer order data during a 33-hour window spanning February 15 to February 17, 2016. According to Bibi Brown, Vice President of Customer Experience, the breach potentially exposed transactional records containing customer names, physical addresses, email addresses, and payment card information. The company did not confirm whether specific customer records were definitively exfiltrated or merely accessed during the intrusion. No technical details regarding the attack vector or intrusion methods were disclosed publicly.
1-800-FLOWERS formally notified the California Department of Justice about the incident in March 2016 through a data breach letter, subsequently alerting affected customers. Joseph Pititto, Senior Vice President of Investor Relations, stated there were no verified reports of malicious activity involving the potentially compromised data as of the notification period. The company advised customers who placed orders during the 33-hour exposure window to monitor their credit card statements for unauthorized transactions and contact financial institutions if suspicious activity occurred. Internal investigations confirmed the breach was contained to the specified timeframe, with no evidence suggesting prolonged access beyond February 17. The disclosure did not quantify the number of potentially affected customers or provide specifics regarding remediation efforts beyond general monitoring recommendations.