Aussie-based BTC Markets exchange has published the full name and email addresses of all its users in a marketing email blast. The exchange accidentally exposed the information of all its clients in a marketing email that was sent to each of the affected individuals on December 1.
Reports reveal that the emails were sent in batches of 1,000 which means that every customer got the name and email address of 999 other users on the list. Currently, BTC Markets is in the process of reporting the incident to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner. Bowler said that the exchange will be ready to take guidance from the OAIC on how to respond to the breach moving forward.
Speaking to reporters, BTC Markets CEO Caroline Bowler expressed the firm’s “heartfelt apologies” for that incident. She insisted that the platform’s executives are now working relentlessly to mitigate the repercussions of the breach and to set up “additional security features” to avert future information leaks.
Recommendations
Bowler recommended BTC Markets clients to set up two-factor authentication to protect their account and change passwords to their email accounts. She also encouraged users to be wary of criminals trying to access their email accounts and of phishing scams alleging to originate from BTC Markets. Users should always double-check that emails originating from ‘BTC Markets’ are from addresses that end in ‘@btcmarkets.net’.
Bowler acknowledged that this breach has not affected the security of the exchange, and she added that no personal data apart from the full names and email addresses was leaked via these emails.
The main aim of the email was to inform the users that the exchange plans to list pairings for USDT from December 3 together with supporting Flare Network’s Spark token airdrop scheduled to take place on December 12.
While BTC Markets will continue with the Tether listing and Spark Airdrop, Bowler said that the immediate focus of the exchange is now on managing the latest data leak and its impact on the users.
That was a case of bad timing for Bowler, who on December 1, said that she has just joined the local sector body Blockchain Australia as a board member.
