Publishing giant Scholastic has reportedly fallen victim to a cyberattack in which a hacker named “Parasocial” claims to have accessed sensitive information on millions of individuals. The data breach includes details such as names, email addresses, phone numbers, and postal addresses, mainly targeting US customers and education-related contacts. Daily Dot reports that the compromised database contains over four million unique email addresses, and Parasocial provided a sample to confirm the legitimacy of the data. The hacker stated that the motive behind the breach was purely for entertainment and assured that the stolen information will not be released online.
Scholastic, renowned for its books and popular series like Harry Potter and Goosebumps, has a user platform where parents, teachers, and administrators can register accounts. The attacker highlighted the need for improved security measures, emphasizing the importance of Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) to prevent such breaches. Scholastic has responded to the incident by initiating investigations to safeguard customer data, acknowledging the seriousness of the situation and their commitment to enhancing security protocols.