UPDATE: Guardian Jobs website hacked

 

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By Stuart Turton

Posted on 26 Oct 2009 at 08:06

The Guardian has contacted 500,000 people, after hackers attacked its Jobs website exposing job application data.

The company emailed those affected on Saturday to inform them that the details of their applications had been exposed in "a sophisticated and deliberate hack". According to the Guardian, the data included names, email addresses, covering letters and CVs.

However, the company stressed that some of the data was around two years old, and that "we have no reason to believe that any financial or bank data was compromised."

"We learned yesterday evening that the Guardian Jobs website has been targeted by a sophisticated and deliberate hack, which has breached the security of the data on the site," the company confirmed.

This is apparently a deliberate and sophisticated crime, of which the Guardian is a victim in addition to some of our users

"You have used the site to make one or more job applications and we believe your personal data, relating to those applications, may have been accessed. The supplier who runs the site has identified the manner in which it was hacked and taken steps to prevent a recurrence."

According to the Guardian the hack was stopped before it was completed, and the site is now secure.

The incident has been reported to the Metropolitan Police's e-crime unit, who are investigating the incident. The Guardian claims the police have asked it not to reveal how the hack was accomplished.

"The police remain anxious to keep information about the apparent theft to a minimum, in order not to compromise their investigations, but did agree with us that we could inform those users who may be affected," the company says.

"We stress our regret that this breach has occurred. This is apparently a deliberate and sophisticated crime, of which the Guardian is a victim in addition to some of our users."