Hackers claimed this week that that they had obtained barcode information for a whole lot of 1000’s of tickets to Taylor Swift’s Eras tour, demanding that Ticketmaster pay thousands and thousands in ransom cash or they’d leak the knowledge on-line.The hacking group posted samples of the information to a web-based discussion board– ticket information on Swift’s exhibits in Indianapolis, Miami, and New Orleans – and alleged that it possessed an extra 30m million barcodes for different high-profile concert events and sporting occasions.The ransom posts on the web discussion board have been from the hacking group ShinyHunters, and an account that seemed to be related to it referred to as Sp1d3rHunters. The group has a historical past of claiming accountability for main hacks in opposition to corporations together with Santander financial institution, AT&T, Microsoft and others.Ticketmaster denied providing any cash to the hackers, who had not engaged with the corporate in regards to the ransom, in line with an announcement from father or mother Reside Nationwide Leisure. Ticketmaster additionally acknowledged that its ticketing expertise prevented such leaked barcodes from getting used as tickets by refreshing barcodes each few seconds.Hopeful Swifties in all probability gained’t have the ability to attend their icon’s world tour with an ill-gotten ticket. Though the information seemed to be from the hacking group’s giant scale breach of Ticketmaster and Reside Nation earlier this yr, cybersecurity consultants who examined the leak agreed that the stolen information wouldn’t be helpful for getting access to an enviornment. The information couldn’t be used as a ticket as a result of the Ticketmaster cell utility makes use of dynamic barcodes, consultants stated, whereas the information within the hack is static.“This information is sort of definitely not enough to permit somebody to recreate a barcode to get in,” stated Don Smith, vice-president on the cybersecurity agency Secureworks. “When you’re operating occasions of the scale and scale of the Eras tour, you aren’t going to make it straightforward for somebody to simply get entry to a database after which have the ability to create a faux ticket.”Regardless of ShinyHunters’ means to achieve entry to the Swift ticketing information, which included data on tickets for 9 upcoming dates throughout the three US cities, consultants stated that corporations similar to Reside Nation have extra subtle measures to forestall that information from getting used to truly steal tickets.“If the thought right here was that you simply’re going to create absolute chaos on all future Eras tour dates, I don’t suppose so,” Smith stated.The ransom risk to Reside Nation is a part of a broader rise in cyberattacks and ransomware lately. The assaults have focused main firms and public establishments, with analysts estimating that victims paid out $1.1bn in ransoms in 2023. The UK’s Nationwide Well being Service remains to be reeling from a devastating assault by a Russia-based ransomware gang in June.Earlier this yr, ShinyHunters allegedly breached a 3rd celebration contractor to achieve entry to Ticketmaster’s information that included the names, partial cost particulars, cellphone numbers, ticket gross sales and different data on round 560 million clients. LiveNation confirmed the hack in a submitting with the US Securities and Alternate Fee in Might after ShinyHunters took credit score for the assault.The hack added to Reside Nation’s myriad of public relations issues and authorized woes. The US Division of Justice sued the corporate in Might, alleging it was illegally monopolizing ticket gross sales and searching for to interrupt it up. Reside Nation additionally confronted widespread backlash over its dealing with of Swift’s Eras tour, with a botched gross sales course of resulting in hours-long waits, failure to deal with client demand and tickets occurring resale for exorbitant quantities. Swift herself has bashed the corporate repeatedly.Swift’s tour has been the goal of cyberattacks earlier than. In February, hackers breached Australian occasions firm Ticketek, breaking into particular person accounts and reselling Eras tour tickets. The corporate arrange pop-up stands outdoors Swift’s exhibits for followers to report their considerations and doubtlessly regain their tickets.ShinyHunters has additionally claimed accountability for accessing financial institution and bank card numbers for round 30 million clients and staff at Santander financial institution earlier this yr. The group tried to promote that data to the very best bidder. In Might, the FBI and US Division of Justice seized the web discussion board that ShinyHunters used to publish data and ransom threats from its Reside Nation and Santander hacks, however one other web site shortly popped up.