A hacker claimed to have stolen 2GB worth of data from Singaporean luxury retailer Cortina Watch as part of a string of luxury store hacks within the island nation.
In a report by The Straits Times Monday, the hacker, who goes by the username Bassterlord, claimed in a tweet that he managed to steal the information, which included personal customer details, to hold the company to ransom purportedly. "I don't think very rich clients will want their addresses to be public," the hacker said.
Bassterlord was reported to be a Ukrainian man in his 20s heading a hacking group called the National Hazard Agency. Local cybersecurity firm Analyst1 added the hacker dealt mainly with ransomware and has been linked to at least four major ransomware gangs.
Cortina Watch was founded in 1972 by local businessman Anthony Lim. The company's most recent report showed its total revenue increased by 64.1% to $716.9 million in 2022, translating to a $73.8 million net profit.
The incident was the second in a row after the island nation reported a similar incident involving the local jewelry chain Goldheart. It was reported a database of more than 40,000 of the company's personal customer data had been leaked by hackers on hacking fora and the Dark Web.
Meanwhile, Singapore's cybersecurity watchdogs have not yet provided statements regarding both incidents.
