Hong Kong Investigates Louis Vuitton After Data Breach Affecting 419,000 Customers

Hong Kong’s privacy watchdog announced on Monday that it is investigating the data breach affecting over 419,000 Louis Vuitton customers in the region. The cyberattack took place in June and was reported by the luxury brand in July.

According to Reuters, Hong Kong’s Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data said in an email that people’s personal data, including names, passport details, phone numbers, and email addresses, have been exposed.

Louis Vuitton reported the incident to the authorities on July 17. The French head office detected suspicious activity on June 13 and confirmed it affected customers in Hong Kong by July 2. Authorities are now investigating the breach, including whether the company delayed its notification.

“The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data has launched an investigation into Louis Vuitton Hong Kong in accordance with established procedures, including whether the incident involved delayed notification,” said the watchdog.

According to the South China Morning Post, Louis Vuitton Hong Kong stated that it had recently discovered unauthorized access and immediately took action, with the help of cybersecurity experts, to contain it. The luxury brand also clarified that its customers’ financial information remains protected.

“We sincerely regret any concern or inconvenience this situation may cause,” said Louis Vuitton. “We continuously work to update our security measures to protect against the evolving threat landscape, and we have taken steps to further strengthen the protection of our systems.”

Hong Kong’s privacy watchdog urged all companies to immediately notify them of cyberattacks and data breaches so they can offer support to both the affected organizations and individuals.

Louis Vuitton was also one of the brands affected in the recent wave of cyberattacks reportedly carried out by the hacking group Scattered Spider in May. The group has developed sophisticated malware and phishing kits, targeting multiple companies in the past few months, including Nike, Vodafone, and T-Mobile.