Is Newegg Safe? How The Newegg Breach Left Millions of Personal Data Exposed

If you made a purchase online with Newegg from August 14, to September 18, 2019, your credit card data was most likely stolen in the Newegg data breach. Discovered by Volexity, a cybersecurity firm, the data-skimming operation was carried out by inserting a few lines of malicious code on Newegg’s payment page. The hacking collective called the Magecart group is the entity responsible. This is the same outfit that hit British Airways and Ticketmaster UK recently.

The 15 lines of inserted code redirected payments to a look-alike website that even sported a security certificate (SSL) to appear legitimate. The Newegg breach affected web-based and mobile users. Newegg has more than 45 million visitors per month, but it is unclear how many customers were affected by the Newegg hack. Credit card data, names, addresses, email addresses, expiration dates, security codes, and other information was stolen.

The Newegg breach left all its users and potential new users wondering "is Newegg safe?", and they have every right to do so since the Newegg breach left millions of people exposed

When Was the Newegg Data Breach?

The Newegg data breach took place between August 14 and September 18, 2019. The malicious code was removed the Tuesday following the discovery but still no details on how many customers were affected.

How to Check if Your Data Was Breached By The Newegg Hack

If you purchased anything from Newegg between August 14 and September 2019, your information was stolen by the Newegg hack, and you should take quick action. 

What to Do if Your Data Was Breached From The Newegg Breach

If you visited Newegg and made a purchase during the Newegg breach dates, your credit card data and more may be in the hands of cybercriminals from the Newegg hack. So, to answer to your question "is Newegg safe?" Newegg is certainly not safe, which is why you should take some security measures.

First, you should contact your bank immediately to cancel any credit or debit cards used. Additionally, you should take some further steps to ensure your safety in the future:

• Check your bank and credit card statements carefully over the next few weeks to watch for fraud or unusual activity.

• Get a copy of your credit report and sign up for credit monitoring through a company like IDStrong.com.

• Consider putting a credit freeze in place to ensure no new accounts are opened in your name without your permission.

• Scan your computer for viruses or malware such as the Trojan virus that may have resulted from visiting the bogus website. 

Can My Stolen Information From Newegg Hack be Used to Steal my Identity?

Absolutely. The information taken by the Newegg hack is the exact thing needed to steal your identity and open up new lines of credit in your name. The data gathered from the Newegg breach can also fuel phishing campaigns and spam emails designed to trick you into clicking a link that may infect your computer with a virus or malware or download an attachment. Sometimes these emails appear to be urgent, pushing you to visit a spoofed website that looks legitimate but is actually faked. When you enter your credentials, they are instantly in the hands of criminals. Data breaches similar to the Newegg data breach do not help a company’s image, where people start asking themselves, is Newegg safe? because clearly not so much.

What to Do to Protect Yourself Against Future Exposure

Obviously, you can’t just stop using credit cards or shopping online, but there are things you can do to protect yourself against fraud and data breaches. 

• Use only a single credit card for online purchases and monitor your credit card statements carefully. This way, if anything happens, you will only have to cancel and replace a single card.

• Keep an eye on your credit reports also and consider a credit freeze to keep hackers from opening new accounts in your name.

• Update your antivirus software on all your machines and run deep scans often.

• Never give out your personal information to anyone unless you have to.

• Do not click links in emails or download attachments and be on the lookout for internet scams such as suspicious or urgent emails that demand you “verify your details.”

Be Sure to protect yourself and your identity in the future, and do not let yourself wondering again whether or not is Newegg safe.