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Dymocks Data Breach: What the 1.24 Million Affected Records Mean

Dymocks said a third-party Booklovers provider’s server was accessed and customer records appeared on the dark web. Its 2023 update counted 1.24 million records, not confirmed unique customers.
From TheFinanceBase Team4 min to read
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Dymocks said a cybercriminal accessed customer contact records held by a third-party provider for its Booklovers loyalty program and that the records were published on the dark web. In an 18 September 2023 update, the bookstore chain reported 1.24 million affected records—not 1.24 million confirmed individuals. The company’s primary notices do not verify the headline’s 800,000-customer figure or explain how it relates to the record count.

What happened in the Dymocks data breach?

In its final account, published on 4 October 2023, Dymocks said a new loyalty provider temporarily stored customer records on a separate web server so they could be imported into the provider’s platform. The provider told Dymocks that access keys for the server were stolen, enabling a cybercriminal to access the provider’s servers. Dymocks said its forensic experts reviewed evidence from the provider and did not find that Dymocks’ own controlled systems had been breached in connection with this incident. These are Dymocks’ reported findings; the available notices do not include an independent forensic report. Dymocks’ incident updates

Dymocks said the records were published on the dark web and accessed multiple times. It also said it notified the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) and the Australian Cyber Security Centre and cooperated with them.

Incident timeline

  • 2 September 2023: Dymocks said its forensic experts confirmed this was the date customer records were first published on the dark web.
  • 6 September 2023: The company said it became aware that records might have been published.
  • 8 September 2023: Dymocks notified customers while it investigated and had not yet confirmed publication.
  • 15 September 2023: The company said it notified customers again after confirming publication.
  • 18 September 2023: Dymocks reported 1.24 million impacted customer contact records.
  • 4 October 2023: Dymocks published its concluded account of the incident and its cause.

How many customers were affected?

Dymocks’ 18 September 2023 update gives a figure of 1.24 million customer contact records. A record count is not the same as a count of unique people: one person may have more than one record, and the company’s notice does not say how many distinct individuals the records represent. The primary notices do not substantiate 800,000 unique affected customers or reconcile that figure with 1.24 million records.

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Numbers reported elsewhere should be compared carefully: a figure for records, unique email addresses and unique people describes different things. Dymocks’ published figure is its own count of impacted records, not an independently verified estimate of people.

What information was in the records?

Dymocks said the affected records could contain some or all of the following, depending on the customer:

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  • Email address, mobile number and postal address
  • Gender
  • Booklovers membership information, such as gold expiry date, account status, member-created date and card ranking

The company said payment or credit-card details and passwords were not included in the records involved. An earlier Dymocks FAQ also said passport and driver’s-licence details were not present. Those statements describe the records investigated in this incident; they are not a guarantee that customers face no risk from exposed contact or membership information.

What should Dymocks customers do?

Use Dymocks’ official notices and be cautious with messages that refer to the breach. Someone who has a name, contact details or loyalty-program information may use it to make a fraudulent email or text seem credible.

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  • Do not follow uncertain links. Dymocks advised customers not to click links they were unsure about.
  • Ignore requests that claim to come from Dymocks and ask for payment or personal information by email or text. The company said it would not use those channels to request payment or personal information, or to offer refunds.
  • Change your Booklovers password if you still use one. Dymocks’ earlier FAQ recommended changing it, although its later incident account said passwords were not included in the affected records. Use a unique password rather than reusing one from another account.
  • Check messages through a route you choose yourself. Go to Dymocks’ official site or contact the company using the details on its live contact page, rather than relying on a link or phone number in an unexpected message.

Dymocks’ final notice directs customers with questions to its support team and links to its FAQ and fraud-alert information. The contact page currently lists 1800 849 096 and [email protected]; check the live page for current service hours.

What did Dymocks say it did in response?

Dymocks said it engaged independent forensic and cybersecurity experts, monitored the dark web, reviewed partner-security practices and planned to reduce the data it collected, including removing date of birth where possible. The company described these as response measures and plans; its notices do not establish whether every planned change was completed or how effective each measure has been.

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In a 4 October 2023 customer email, CEO Mark Newman wrote: “Whether it is us or our partners, the security of your information was our responsibility.”

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What is the OAIC complaint about?

The OAIC said the Australian Information Commissioner accepted a representative complaint against Dymocks on 28 May 2024. In a notice published on 19 November 2024, the OAIC said Gordon Legal had lodged the complaint on 25 September 2023 for a representative complainant. It alleges Dymocks interfered with privacy under section 13(1)(a) of the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) by breaching Australian Privacy Principle 11. The OAIC describes potential class members as current or former Dymocks customers whose data was accessed, stolen or compromised in the breach. OAIC notice about the representative complaint

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Acceptance of a complaint is part of a complaint process, not a finding that Dymocks is liable. The cited OAIC notice does not establish a later outcome.

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