Introduction to the Incident

Indian car-sharing marketplace Zoomcar has recently disclosed that a hacker gained unauthorized access to the personal data of at least 8.4 million of its customers. The compromised information includes names, phone numbers, and car registration numbers.

Discovery and Response

The incident was identified by the Bengaluru-headquartered company on June 9, as stated in its filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The company became aware of the breach after receiving external communications from a threat actor claiming to have accessed its data. Following the discovery, Zoomcar promptly activated its incident response plan.

Scope of the Breach

According to the company, there is no evidence that financial information, plaintext passwords, or other sensitive identifiers were compromised during the breach. However, the personal data of a significant number of customers was accessed.

Post-Incident Actions

In response to the incident, Zoomcar has implemented additional security measures across its cloud and internal network. These include increased system monitoring and a review of access controls. The company is also working with third-party cybersecurity experts and has notified the appropriate regulatory and law enforcement authorities, cooperating fully with their investigations.

Customer Notification and Investigation

As of now, it is unclear whether Zoomcar has notified the affected customers about the incident or if it has any information regarding the identity of the hacker. TechCrunch has reached out to Zoomcar for further clarification on these matters and will update the article upon receiving a response.

Company Overview

Founded in 2013, Zoomcar operates a car rental service that allows customers to rent cars on a monthly, weekly, daily, and hourly basis. The company has a presence in 99 cities, with over 25,000 cars and more than 10 million users, according to its investor relations website. Zoomcar’s operations extend beyond India to countries including Egypt, Indonesia, and Vietnam.

Recent Performance

In February, Zoomcar reported a 19% year-on-year increase in car rentals, totaling 103,599 bookings. The company also saw a significant jump in contribution profit, which increased by over 500% to $1.28 million, although it reported a net loss of $7.9 million.

Operational Impact

Zoomcar has stated that, to date, the incident has not resulted in any material disruption to its operations. The company continues to operate as usual, with ongoing efforts to enhance its security posture and collaborate with authorities on the investigation.