Dell has confirmed it is investigating claims of a data breach that exposed sensitive information about thousands of its employees. According to reports, a hacker using the alias ‘grep’ posted on the dark web forum BreachForums, offering a large database for sale that allegedly contains employee data. The hacker claimed, “In September 2024, Dell suffered a minor data breach that exposed internal employee data.” The compromised information allegedly includes employee IDs, full names, statuses, and internal IDs.
It is said to affect over 10,800 employees of Dell and its partners. If the database is legitimate, it could pose significant risks for Dell. The exposed information could be used in phishing attacks, potentially allowing cybercriminals to impersonate company employees.
This could enable them to gain access to restricted areas of the infrastructure or sensitive information.
Dell investigates alleged data breach
Making matters worse, the database can be obtained quite easily.
A small sample has been made available for free, and the entire set can be purchased for a minimal cost. In response to these claims, Dell stated, “We are aware of the claims, and our security team is currently investigating.”
Earlier reports indicated that the hacker ‘grep’ also claimed to have breached French tech and consulting giant Capgemini. They allegedly obtained 20 GB of sensitive data, including databases, source codes, private keys, credentials, API keys, projects, and employee information.
However, a T-Mobile US representative debunked a related claim, asserting that the alleged T-Mobile data did not belong to the US branch of the company. Dell has yet to provide further details or confirm the authenticity of the breached data, but investigations are ongoing. The implications of such breaches highlight the increasing cybersecurity challenges faced by major corporations today.
