Sports Direct hacked last year, and still hasn't told its staff of data breach

Sports Direct has left its 30,000-strong workforce in the dark over a data breach in the autumn when a hacker accessed internal systems containing staffers' personal information. The Register can reveal the UK's largest sports retail business was the subject of a digital break-in during September, when an attacker exploited …

[Little Mouse]

Stating the obvious...

A spokesman for Sports Direct said: "We cannot comment on operational matters in relation to cyber-security for obvious reasons."

Umm - would the reason be that no-one likes to publicly admit to behaving like a total arse?

[DaLo]

"We cannot comment on operational matters in relation to cyber-security for obvious reasons"

Errr, why not? It's not like anyone needs to know that they are still running an insecure portal and it is still vulnerable to attack but they can easily comment on the incident and the lack of staff communication, for obvious reasons.

[macjules]

Wait a second ..

We cannot comment on operational matters in relation to cyber-security for obvious reasons. However, it is our policy to continually upgrade and improve our systems, and where appropriate we keep the relevant authorities informed.

Isn't that the same statement that TalkTalk used? Is there a website somewhere that allows zero-hours PR spokespersons to copy prepared banalities for any situation?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Wait a second ..

Isn't that the same statement that TalkTalk used? Is there a website somewhere that allows zero-hours PR spokespersons to copy prepared banalities for any situation?

Yes, it's the only one that DOES have decent security - it's cheaper to subscribe to that service than to fund your own IT to do it right. Again more money for shareholders!

Yes, I'm in a cynical mood. Why?

[Craig McGill 1]

SOP

Both parts of this are relatively standard statements in cyber PR issues. The first part is because they really don't want to highlight the matter in case it attracts more attacks and the second part shows that they a) are trying to do something and b) did something.

How effective or useful you may find the statement is another issue and depends from person to person.

[allthecoolshortnamesweretaken]

Re: Wait a second ..

I guess they all attended the same seminar on digital cyber information thingies and kept a copy of the PPP deck.

[Potemkine]

From The Guardian's article: Warehouse staff at the group, which is controlled by Britain’s 22nd richest man, are required to go through searches at the end of each shift, for which their time is unpaid, while they also suffer harsh deductions from their wage packets for clocking in for a shift just one minute late.

Euh! Do you believe this man could be UK's 22nd richest man if he was nice, fair and respectful of others?

[Bernard M. Orwell]

"Do you believe this man could be UK's 22nd richest man if he was nice, fair and respectful of others?"

Tommorow I may be poor. Tommorow I may be rich.

Either way, he will always be a prick, regardless. Getting rich at the cost of the suffering of others makes you a prick and no amount of money will ever change that.

Profit is not the greatest achievement in life.

[2460 Something]

Getting rich at the cost of the suffering of others makes you a prick and no amount of money will ever change that.

Couldn't agree more. I have never understood why we applaud and praise these types of company dictatorsowners. They could run companies with less margins, but treat their staff as assets rather than criminals. As long as it is making enough money to be financially viable then everyone is happy. If the only way for your company to succeed is to screw your staff over, then it shouldn't be get off the planning board. Although that is probably why I will never be rich tomorrow :)

[Anonymous Coward]

I have never understood why we applaud and praise these types of company dictators owners.

We don't. Other pricks do. The prick collective runs the world.

[Mike Dolan]

"They could run companies with less margins, but treat their staff as assets rather than criminals"

And if they chose to run with a smidgen less margin further, they could treat staff as humans.

[Blofeld's Cat]

Hmm...

"Do you believe this man could be UK's 22nd richest man if he was nice, fair and respectful of others?"

It depends on your definition of "rich"...

"There is no wealth but life. Life, including all its powers of love, of joy, and of admiration. That country is the richest which nourishes the greatest numbers of noble and happy human beings; that man is richest, who, having perfected the functions of his own life to the utmost, has also the widest helpful influence, both personal, and by means of his possessions, over the lives of others."

John Ruskin, Unto This Last (1860)

[macjules]

'That man' in a certain area of Chelsea is referred to as Mr Hedgehog. Why? Because he is always seen being driven at speed in his Rangerover which is known as the hedgehog car ... because unlike a hedgehog, it has all the pricks on the inside.

[Frank Bitterlich]

Translation

Amended version of their statement...

"Sports Direct filed an incident report with the Information Commissioner's Office because they wanted to cover their butts after it became aware that its workforce's information had been compromised, but as there was no evidence well, at least the intruder didn't give us any that the hacker had made further copies of the data the snatched or shared the data they probably sold it, but didn't share it, the company did not report the breach to its staff."

The usual BS. "Somebody stole that data, and we pretty much know they're using it to f**k the affected people, but we don't have actual evidence of them using it. So no need for action."

[adam payne]

"An inside source with knowledge of the incident told The Register that employees' unencrypted data was stolen during the breach. Sports Direct's internal systems detected the intrusion in September, but it was not until December that the company learned of the data breach. Our insider claimed a phone number had been left on the company's internal site with a message encouraging Sports Direct's bosses to make contact."

Unencrypted data again?!?

Intrusion detected but data breach wasn't detected until December, what were they doing?

Did they not thoroughly investigate when they detected the intrusion?

How many scandals does there need to be about Sports Direct before the authorities step in and slap him down a few pegs?

[Anonymous Coward]

From what I understand of Sports Direct

When you start working there you effectively become their property to abuse as they wish. Ergo YOUR personal data is now THEIR data. They owe you nothing, minion. Now get back to working your zero hours contract in the workhouse/warehouse.

[Commswonk]

Ah Yes...

Sports Direct; a perfect example of EU membership being "good for British business".

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Ah Yes...

Nothing to do with EU membership. France appear to also be members of the EU.

[Alistair]

"stated that its “size and success is founded on a business model that enables the majority of workers in both the warehouse at <LOCATION> and at the shops around <LOCATION> to be treated without dignity or respect"

Uhhhhhhhh.

Describes preeeeeeeety much *all* retail operations .......

[John Smith 19]

Sports Direct introduces new staff uniform.*

It makes a bold statement about your corporate identity and is easy to clean.

*Price deducted from you pay over the succeeding months.

[Dominion]

Re: Sports Direct introduces new staff uniform.*

Don't worry, it'll have had a 75% off tag slapped on it when it was packaged...