The parking assistant platform ParkMobile recently experienced a cybersecurity breach compromising private information for 21 million users.
ParkMobile is an app designed to make finding and paying for parking easier for users across the United States. The app offers contactless payment—which has become important during the pandemic—and the ability to reserve parking ahead of time. This convenience is especially important in major metropolitan areas, with many parking authorities using this platform, including the Pittsburgh Parking Authority.
Reportedly, the data breached includes email addresses, phone numbers, license plate numbers and encrypted passwords. While details are still emerging, ParkMobile confirmed that this was a result of a third-party vendor and that they were able to cease any further infringement before sensitive data, such as payment information, was compromised. The platform does not store location history, drivers license numbers or social security numbers, so there are no concerns of this information being part of the breach.
While ParkMobile published a security notice on March 26, they have not provided any official outreach or notification to users, as this article and the statement is noticeably hidden from the company’s app and homepage. This lack of communication is concerning to many security experts such as Brian Krebs. At the very least, users should be notified of the breach and encouraged/required to update their passwords.
The stolen data is currently priced at $125,000 on the dark web, which is considered extremely high, so the data has yet to fall into threat actors hands.
The Schneider Downs cybersecurity team encourages those with the Pittsburgh Parking Authority app or other apps on the ParkMobile platform to update their passwords immediately and change any other accounts with the same credentials (and ideally stop using the same password on multiple accounts or utilize password management software), and share this article with anybody who uses the popular app.
About Schneider Downs Cybersecurity
The Schneider Downs cybersecurity practice consists of experts offering a comprehensive set of information technology security services, including penetration testing, intrusion prevention/detection review, ransomware security, vulnerability assessments and a robust digital forensics and incident response team. For more information, visit www.schneiderdowns.com/cybersecurity or contact the team at [email protected].
In addition, our Digital Forensics and Incident Response teams are available 24x7x365 at 1-800-993-8937 if you suspect or are experiencing a network incident of any kind.
