back to article Honda US cops to vast data snaffle from marketing firm

Honda US has written to customers following a data breach that led to the exposure of million of customer records. Hackers made off with a database containing names, email addresses, and Vehicle Identification Numbers (the unique ID for cars) of 2.2 million Honda customers following an attack on an unnamed third-party …

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  1. jake Silver badge

    WTF?

    Why did Honda allow a third party access to that kind of data? The mind boggles. Seems that the toy robot building global monstrosity is actually breeding muppets ...

    1. Mediocrates
      FAIL

      what could possibly go wrong?

      "Why did Honda allow a third party access to that kind of data?"

      Because removing that information would cost Money.

      1. Steen Hive
        FAIL

        Oh the millions!

        "SELECT owner_email INTO owner_data IN marketing_wonks_db_crap FROM owner_data"

        Crippling expense.

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    By definition...

    ... a "PR Department" is a "Lying Department". Crystal clear to me.

  3. ShaggyDoggy

    No surprise

    Hey Honda - did none of you ever stop to ask why a PR company would need VIN numbers ?

    Most end customers don't even know what they are.

    Unless it's not a PR company of course, but then you never tell a lie.

  4. Raz

    No title

    Why exactly would a marketing company need VINs for? I understand names, emails, phone #s and so on, but VINs? Is that marketing company another name for Honda IT department? :)

  5. Destroy All Monsters Silver badge
    Flame

    Just continue hitting that bong.

    "you also need your partners and third-party vendors to follow equally stringent best practices"

    Sod that.

    I you find someone willing to pay for the partner following "stringent best practices", wake me up.

    Offers costing more than a lunch for five at Pizza Hut are generally immediately deep-sixed. Except if you are one of the Big Brands and have A Man Inside. Then you can actually add a 0 or two on the right side.

  6. bugalugs
    Coat

    @Data Snaffle

    Snaffle, to* : to help one's self to what is laying about in abundance+/much "needed", especially if there's no-one about. This looks more like theft. . To order perhaps ?

    *see also snaffling, snaffler, snaffled, snaffleable, popularised by Easy Rider mag et al c1980s.

    mine was the fur one.

  7. John Gray

    "Snaffle" is a perfectly valid word - see a proper OED

    verb

    [with object] British informal

    take (something) for oneself, typically quickly or without permission:

    e.g. shall we snaffle some of Bernard's sherry?

    Admittedly the author is nouning a verb, but, hey, he's American - they can do anything!

  8. gimbal
    WTF?

    They gave what to who?

    They gave VINs to marketers? I can understand the modern neo-business marketer "reasoning" behind of some of that other carp - but VINs? Does Honda even bother auditing what they hand out to marketers?

  9. PJ 1

    Snaffle

    2.get hold of or seize quickly and easily

    http://dictionary.sensagent.com/snaffle/en-en/

    English colloquialisms. You love them.

  10. jake Silver badge

    @Billy Bob Gascan

    Look up the verb variation of the term "snaffle".

  11. Andy J
    Headmaster

    @Billy Bob Gascan

    If you remember this is a British site, then checking with a proper dictionary might help: http://oxforddictionaries.com/view/entry/m_en_gb0785210#m_en_gb0785210

  12. Robert Carnegie Silver badge

    "Snafile" chiefly British

    According to http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/snaffle

    "to appropriate for one's own use, esp. by devious means; purloin; filch."

    To steal.

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Ironic, isn't it?

    Pity their safety information isn't as readily available as their customer's information.

  14. alanmcg

    Acura

    Acura is a luxury brand owned by Honda, not merely a luxury car. Perhaps Honda uses VINs as a primary key/unique identifier for its customers.

  15. Neal 5

    (untitled)

    Net security firm Sophos notes that the incident illustrates how the security reputation of household brands can be damaged by security faux-pas from its partners. "It may not be your company who is directly hacked, but it can still be your customers' data that ends up exposed, and your brand name that is tarnished,"

    And Sophos has only just woken up to this fact?.

    Wow, that instills confidence.

  16. ShaggyDoggy

    I am a customer and a free man

    "Acura is a luxury brand owned by Honda, not merely a luxury car. Perhaps Honda uses VINs as a primary key/unique identifier for its customers."

    Honda does not own me, I am a customer of theirs, not _their_ customer/

    And what use these VIN's once I've sold it on ?

    1. jake Silver badge

      VINs are important down the road ...

      As a restorer of pre-1971 Ford cars, I can assure you that the VIN is useful ... A couple months ago, without the info provided by the VIN, I would have bought a "restorable", but fake, 1969 BOSS 302 Mustang. It was one of the best bogus-BOSS Mustang counterfeits I have ever seen. A couple years ago, I similarly turned down a 1969 Ford "Talladega" Torino. I'd have ignored this last one anyway (the bodywork was obviously not factory when I looked under the hood), but it was the VIN that tipped me off that something wasn't right.

      Similarly, last time I bought used tow vehicle for our 6-horse goose-neck slant, I went through six big Ford pickups before I found one not on the "lemon" list and/or the "branded vehicles" list.

      Note that not once, ever, have I had access to the original owner's name & address via the VIN. The VIN is just that, the Vehicle ID Number. Honda fucked up, big time.

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