Hackers Breach Online Driving School Ornikar Exposing Data of Millions of Customers Online

Ornikar, a popular online driving school booking platform in France, is warning customers of a security incident that compromised their personally identifiable information (PII).

The French start-up began notifying impacted individuals last week and says that no sensitive data, such as financial information and passwords, was compromised.

While Ornikar did not emphasize on the number of impacted customers, the email notice touches on details regarding the type of exposed information and mitigation actions that users can take to prevent potential misuse.

According to the data breach letter, cybercriminals accessed:  

• Full name
• Email address
• Phone number
• Date of birth
• Postal address

Stolen customer data was also put up for sale on an underground forum, where the hacker claimed he had information on over 4 million Ornikar customers.

The company has since notified the French data protection authority (CNIL) and implemented robust security protocols to prevent similar incidents.

What Are Potential Risks and How Can Customers Prevent Them?

Given the type of data sets that were compromised during the breach, customers should expect phishing attempts meant to harvest sensitive data and hijack accounts.

Here are several security practices to help fend off phishing scams, protect your online accounts and identity:

1. Verify the sender’s email address: Always check that the domain name of the sender is correct (emails from Ornikar should come from domains like @ornikar.com or @info.ornikar.com).
2. Be cautious of urgent messages: If you receive emails that urge you to act quickly, take a moment to review the message carefully and look for any signs of phishing.
3. Review account security and reset passwords: While passwords weren’t leaked, it’s always a good idea to review the security of your accounts and passwords. Reset the password associated with their Ornikar account and any other platform that shares the same or similar password. Ensure that your passwords are unique and complex, avoiding common elements like your name or birthdate. Don’t forget to enable any additional layer of security on your online accounts such two-factor authentication or multi-factor authentication.
4. Don’t enter credentials on suspicious links: If a link or email seems suspicious, don’t enter your information. Always confirm the authenticity of the source before providing any of your login details. Ornikar said that they will never ask for sensitive information like complete banking details via email or SMS.
5. Scrutinize attachments: Be wary of email attachments, especially those with active fields like buttons or forms. These could be designed to steal your information.
6. Use security solutions: Install a reliable security solution that can fend off phishing attempts and malware attacks, adding a crucial layer of protection to your devices and data.
7. Use scam-detection tools: If you suspect someone is trying to scam you, or a website looks suspicious, check it with Scamio, our AI-powered scam detection service for FREE! Send any texts, messages, links, QR codes, or images to Scamio, which will analyze them to determine if they are part of a scam. Scamio is free and available on Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, your web browser and Discord. You can also help others stay safe by sharing Scamio with them in France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Romania, Australia, and the UK.
8. Monitor your digital identity with Bitdefender Digital Identity Protection: Since your personal data was exposed, using a service like Bitdefender Digital Identity Protection can help monitor whether your data appears in any future leaks or is misused, alerting you in real-time to protect your identity and personal information.

Bitdefender all-in-one plans provide comprehensive protection for all household devices, from laptops to smartphones and tablets. We paired multi-awarded antivirus and antimalware protection with scam prevention and detection features, a password manager, VPN, and data breach detection—everything you need to safeguard your digital life!