Recruitment agency Michael Page is contacting hundreds of thousands of job seekers, warning them that their personal information has been leaked online.
Michael Page says email addresses, passwords, phone numbers and job applications were all accessed.
In an email sent to customers, it says: “We regret to inform you that on 1 November 2016, we were made aware that an unauthorised third party illegally gained online access to a development server used by our IT provider, Capgemini for testing PageGroup websites”.
“We are sorry to tell you that the details you provided as part of your recent website activity have been identified as amongst those accessed. We know people care deeply about their data being protected so wanted you to hear this from us”.
“Since we identified that your data was accessed, we have worked non-stop to fix this issue with Capgemini, who are a global leader in consulting, technology and outsourcing services”.
“We immediately locked down our servers and secured all possible entry points to them. We carried out a detailed investigation into the nature of what happened. To reassure you, we know that the data was not taken with any malicious intent. We have requested that the third-party destroys or returns all copies of the data. They have confirmed that they have already destroyed it and we are confident that they have done so”.
What to do if you have been affected?
- Watch out for signs of identity crime. Visit Experian, Equifax or Noddle to check your credit rating to make sure no one has applied for credit in your name. Also contact your bank/credit card company, so that they can monitor for suspicious activity on your account.
- Change your password for your Michael Page account immediately. Use three words which mean something to you but are random to others - this creates a password that is strong and more memorable. You should also ensure that you are not using that same password anywhere else on the internet.
- Watch out for recruitment scams and follow our advice to stay safe.
- Beware of targeted phishing emails. If you receive unsolicited emails never reply with personal details and don’t click on any links as you could end up downloading a virus.
- Be wary of anyone calling asking for personal information, bank details or passwords. If in doubt, just hang up.
- For online safety advice visit Get Safe Online and Cyber Aware.
- If you have fallen victim to fraud or need advice on what to do if your details have been compromised, contact Action Fraud.
