Entercom: Data Breach Exposed User Credentials

Entercom has reported a data breach that took place in August 2019 after an unauthorized party was able to access database backup files stored third-party cloud hosting services and containing Radio.com user credentials, according to a report by BleepingComputer.com.

Entercom's national network is comprised of more than 235 radio stations broadcasting news, sports, and music across the country and live the Radio.com online live streaming service to over 170 million people each month.

"As one of the country’s two largest radio broadcasters, Entercom offers integrated marketing solutions and delivers the power of local connection on a national scale with coverage of close to 90% of persons 12+ in the top 50 markets," the company says.

Entercom says in a notice of data breach sent to affected customers and filed with California's Office of the Attorney General that the data breach was detected while investigating a cyberattack that took place in September 2019.

"As part of our investigation into that attack, we became aware of unauthorized activity relating to third-party cloud hosting services, which we use to store information relating to Radio.com users," Entercom explains.

"Specifically, our investigation determined that for approximately three (3) hours on August 4, 2019, an unauthorized actor accessed information relating to Radio.com users contained in database backup files."

During the investigation conducted with the help of third-party data privacy and computer forensics specialists, Entercom discovered that the attacker was able to gain access to the names, usernames, and passwords of the impacted Radio.com users.

Following the data breach, the radio giant implemented several measures designed to prevent similar incidents in the future, including but not limited to passwords rotations, cloud services multifactor authentication and stronger password policies, and staff data security training.

Entercom also urges users who received the data breach notification letters to change their passwords for Radio.com accounts and for any other accounts where the same password was used.

This is the third time in the last year that Entercom was targeted in a security incident. Last September, a cyberattack that had all the signs of a ransomware attack affected all Entercom offices across the country.

At the time, online reports said that the attackers asked for a $500,000 ransom and the attack led to the disruption of telephone and email communication, music scheduling, production, billing, and various other internal digital systems.

Just before Christmas eve, in December 2019, Entercom suffered a second cyberattack that led to Internet connectivity problems disabling email communication, access to files, and content to the radio network digital platforms.