5 million VTech customers and kids exposed in breach

Speaking with Motherboard via encrypted chat, the hacker shared a sample of more than 3,830 image files, none of which he or she intends to publish or sell.

VTech reported the security breach took aim at Learning Lodge’s app store database, exposing the names, emails, passwords, and mailing addresses of almost 5 million adult accounts, and more than 6 million accounts for kids.

Customers with the most data affected live in the United States, with France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands also affected in that order.

Find help for common financial problems in our Solutions Center! VTech claims it has since corrected its server susceptibilities and says it is taking added steps to bolster security. “We are aware of reports of some 18,000 Australian parents and children being affected by the VTech app breach”, Australian consumer advocacy group Choice said in a statement.

Avner Levin, who is both a parent and a security researcher, says if your child is going to have an online account or profile, a little obfuscation is in order. Hackers accessed customer data on November 14, with the company discovering the breach on November 25.

No credit card information was taken in the hack. The firm also reiterated Monday that its customer database does not contain any credit card information or personal identification data such as ID card numbers, Social Security numbers or driver’s license numbers.

“Change the age, change the gender, change the name, change whatever you can so that you don’t actually have a record of your child online with their real information that can then be stolen and used”, he said.

VTech implemented measures as a safeguard against future attacks, following a thorough investigation on the unfortunate circumstance and notification of affected customers. According to the toy maker, it’s sending out emails to all account holders to alert them of the breach.

VTech shut down its “Learning Lodge” that is used by parents and children to purchase items and download new games and apps.

The VTech data breach story just continues to get worse.

Learning Lodge can be downloaded onto a number of electronic VTech children’s devices, including tablets, phones, and smart watches.

Parents, beware: Your child’s kid-friendly gadgets may not be as safe as you think.