Deezer Data Breach: How to Protect Yourself?

Have you ever realized that your personal information is available to hackers on publicly available forums and the dark web? Millions of Deezer users' were victims of a large data leak. 

98% of web applications are vulnerable to cyberattacks, which can lead to malware, redirection to illicit websites, and other issues. Let’s find out the potential threats to your data, and the crucial steps you must take to protect your online identity and data.

What Happened in the Deezer Data Breach?

The 2023 Deezer data breach was a severe security problem that resulted in unauthorized access to user information.

The primary cause of the incident was a flaw in the systems of a third-party service provider that Deezer employed up to 2020. 

Despite contractual responsibilities to destroy Deezer's data upon termination, the supplier kept the data, which hackers eventually stole in 2022.

In addition to the breach involving a third-party service provider, Deezer was hit by the massive data leak known as the "Mother of all breaches" in 2024. 

This attack, which exposed billions of records from multiple services, jeopardized the privacy of Deezer users.

What Was the Impact on Deezer Customers?

Deezer's systems and databases were not affected and remained safe. 

Deezer has not breached any data protection standards and is a victim of both its former service provider's severe carelessness and hackers' maliciousness.

This Cyberattack Targets Millions of Deezer Users

Deezer verified that it suffered a data breach that had compromised the information of over 220 million subscribers in 2020. 

The disclosed data contained users' birth dates, email addresses, genders, geographic areas, IP addresses, names, spoken languages, and/or usernames.

The hacker posted on the breached cybercrime forum. The post reads:

“Today [I’m] selling the information of over 200+ million Deezer.com users from 2019. It includes Users CSV which is a 60 GB file with 257,829,454 records, of those records there are approx. 228 million non-anonymized unique emails. A CSV containing logged user sessions (IP Address and device). Profiles CS, and a folder named final containing 106 CVs.

In 2024, 258 million of Deezer’s customer data records were affected in Mother of All Breaches along with Twitter, Linkedin, Adobe, Canva, Daily Motion, Dropbox, Telegram, and many other organizations.

What Are the Potential Privacy Risks from Exposed Data?

The disclosure of this sensitive information may have significant consequences for Deezer users. Here are some possible associated risks:

Identity Theft

Cybercriminals can exploit the exposed information to create fake accounts or spoof others.

Phishing Attacks

The compromised email addresses could be used to send targeted phishing emails that attempt to fool people into disclosing sensitive information.

Targeted Advertising

Your information could be used to develop more tailored and perhaps intrusive advertising campaigns.

Social Engineering Attacks

The disclosed data could be used to manipulate people or companies for malicious objectives.

Blackmail Or Extortion

Sensitive information could be used to blackmail or extort people or organizations.

How to Take Immediate Action in Case of a Data Breach

If you suspect or find a data breach, respond promptly to limit the damage and preserve your information. 

Here are some prompt actions you should take after a data breach. 

Change Your Passwords

Immediately change the passwords for all impacted accounts, including administrative and individual accounts.

Monitor Account Activity

Monitor your social accounts for any unexpected or suspicious activities.

Identify Compromised Data

Determine the type of information that was compromised, such as personal information, financial data, or proprietary data.

Report the Breach

Create a detailed report documenting the actions taken to contain, assess, and address the incident.

Review and Upgrade Security Measures

Stay up to date on the latest threats and vulnerabilities, and change your security measures accordingly.

Protect Yourself from Data Theft and Unnecessary Tracking 

PurePrivacy provides an extensive range of solutions that enhance your privacy and protect you from the adverse effects of cyberbullying: 

• Dark Web Monitoring: Scan the dark web to get alerts for data leaks.
• Tracker Blocker: Block websites from tracking your online activities.
• Remove My Data: Send automated opt-out requests to multiple data brokers.
• Social Privacy Manager: Manage your social media privacy settings with ease. 

Avoid Identity Theft & Data Collection 

Monitor the dark web for leaked personal data and get notified of potential identity theft attempts before they grow more serious.

Block Intrusive Cookies & Online Tracking

Protect your online appearance from risky or offensive information by blocking trackers and unwanted cookies that record your browsing data.

Send Recurring Opt-Out Requests to 200+ Data Brokers

Protect your personal information from unwanted access and remove it by sending automated data removal requests.

Manage & Tweak Social Privacy Settings 

Customize your privacy preferences across multiple social media platforms, ensuring that your personal information remains safe from prying eyes.

In Conclusion!

The Evolving Bank and Trust data breach is an alarming reminder of the growing vulnerability of personal information in modern times. As technology progresses, the complexity and frequency of cyberattacks increase. 

The risks involved with such breaches go far beyond financial loss, including identity theft, reputational damage, and even legal consequences. You must implement comprehensive cybersecurity procedures to reduce these risks properly. 

PurePrivacy with a VPN provides a powerful solution for protecting personal information and preventing cyber threats. You can use PurePrivacy's suite of features to create a secure online buffer that protects your data from hackers and malicious actors.