Brinztech Alert: Database of PT. Bhinneka Sangkuriang Transport is on Sale

Dark Web News Analysis

A threat actor on a known cybercrime forum is claiming to sell a massive database that they allege was stolen from PT. Bhinneka Sangkuriang Transport, an Indonesian transportation company. ¹ According to the seller’s post, the database contains 13.3 million lines of data, including over a million unique phone numbers and hundreds of thousands of email addresses. The purportedly compromised information affects both employees and customers and includes sensitive Personally Identifiable Information (PII) such as phone numbers, email addresses, departure/destination points, and ticket information. The asking price is $500.  

This claim, if true, represents a data breach of catastrophic proportions for the company and its customers. A database of this scale, containing the detailed personal and travel information of millions of individuals, is an incredibly powerful tool for a wide range of malicious actors. The data would undoubtedly be used to fuel enormous and widespread phishing and smishing (SMS phishing) campaigns, as well as provide the raw materials for large-scale identity theft.

Key Cybersecurity Insights

This alleged data breach presents a critical and widespread threat to Indonesian citizens:

• A Catastrophic National-Scale Data Breach: The alleged scale of 13.3 million records would be one of the largest data breaches in Indonesia’s history. It would put a significant portion of the traveling public at risk and represents a major failure of data security.
• A Goldmine for Mass Smishing and Travel Scams: A database of this size and detail is a perfect toolkit for criminals. The over one million unique phone numbers will be used to launch massive, targeted smishing and vishing (voice phishing) campaigns. Criminals can impersonate the transport company, referencing real travel details to scam customers with fake booking issues or fraudulent offers.
• Dual Threat to Employees and Customers: The leak allegedly contains data on both employees and customers. This creates a dual risk. Attackers can use the customer data for widespread fraud, while using the employee data to launch targeted spear-phishing attacks to gain deeper access into the company’s corporate network, potentially leading to a ransomware attack.

Mitigation Strategies

In response to a claim of this magnitude, the company and the public must be on high alert:

• Launch an Immediate and Full-Scale Investigation: The highest priority for PT. Bhinneka Sangkuriang Transport is to conduct an urgent and comprehensive forensic investigation to verify the claim’s authenticity, determine the full scope of the compromised data, and identify the root cause of the breach.
• Conduct a Nationwide Public Awareness Campaign: Given the potential scale of the breach, a widespread public service announcement is necessary to warn Indonesian citizens about the high risk of fraud and phishing, especially scams related to travel bookings.
• Mandate a Comprehensive Security Overhaul: This incident, if confirmed, must trigger a complete review of the company’s security posture. This includes enforcing password resets for all employees and customers, mandating Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), and strengthening database security controls to prevent a recurrence.

Secure Your Organization with Brinztech As a cybersecurity provider, we can protect your business from the threats discussed here. Contact us to learn more about our services.

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