Member Article

Leeds IT specialist urges data security vigilance following its report of latest Microsoft data security breach

Businesses are being urged to maintain their focus on data security and GDPR compliance by Leeds-based IT specialist Everon after it was first to uncover a worldwide issue on an important Microsoft support website.

The company, which is a Microsoft Certified Partner, utilises a Microsoft technical support portal on a daily basis to report any issues that clients are experiencing, with each report known as a ‘ticket’. On Friday, Everon’s IT support engineers were routinely logging new tickets for clients when they noticed that it was possible to see personal details for the tickets logged by every other Microsoft Certified Partner across the globe.

Stuart Crane, Operations Manager, at Everon says: “We reported this issue immediately to Microsoft so the data breach could be resolved quickly. We were extremely surprised to see that even one of the international giants of the digital economy, who are supposed to be at the top of their game when it comes to data security, can find themselves compromised – and potentially open to prosecution.

“This issue with Microsoft serves as an important reminder that there is no room for complacency when it comes to the security of data held by organisations. Since the new GDPR legislation came into effect last May, data security will only grab the headlines when an organisation suffers a breach, so it is vital to stay ahead of the curve and avoid becoming complacent.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Emma Hudson .