Ma\rch 17th 2018
Camelot, the operator of the National Lottery, has asked all customers to change their passwords as a precaution, following a "low level" cyberattack that affected some 150 accounts. Get Safe Online experts go one step further in urging National Lottery customers to change passwords on all their accounts for which they use the same login details as those used on their National Lottery account.
Hackers used login details credentials obtained from a list circulated online to access the accounts, according to company spokesperson, who added that no money had been stolen and that the information gained was limited. She said that the police, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) had been notified.
Camelot has emailed customers who use their debit card details to transfer money into their National Lottery accounts to purchase online lottery tickets or scratch cards. "As part of our regular security monitoring, we have seen some suspicious activity on a very small number of players' accounts. We have directly contacted those players whose accounts have been affected."
The affected accounts have been suspended.
Get Safe Online's Tim Mitchell commented that despite having affected only a handful of customers, the incident demonstrates the importance of having a separate password for every online account. "If you use the same login details on multiple accounts and one gets hacked, it stands to reason that the others will also," he said. "You may have devised the most complex, un-crackable password there is, but use it on more than one online account and you're gifiting cybercriminals with everything they need to steal your money or identity … or both."
Mitchell added "I recommend you read our expert, practical and easy-to-follow advice on creating and safeguarding passwords on the Get Safe Online website"
In November 2016, Camelot warned that around 26,500 accounts may have been compromised in a hack.
