Massive data breach in Estonia

As a result of a hacker attack on the system of the popular pharmacy chain Apotheca in Estonia, the personal data of almost 700,000 residents was stolen. It became one of the largest data breaches in the country’s history.

Estonian law enforcement agencies are conducting an international investigation to identify the perpetrators. However, there is currently no information about the use of stolen data for criminal purposes. At the same time, it is noted that the Allium UPI company did not provide adequate protection of its customers’ data, which made it easier for cybercriminals.

In February of this year, Allium UPI, which operates a pharmacy loyalty system, reported a leak of its customers’ personal codes, purchase data and contact information. The hack affected not only Apotheca, but also Apotheca Beauty and PetCity, which are also part of the Estonian pharmaceutical distributor Magnum. The stolen database contained information from 2014 to 2020, including nearly 43 million purchase records.

This incident highlights the critical importance of data protection in today’s digital world and the need to pay more attention to cyber security, especially by companies that store large amounts of personal information.