Thousands of Oregon Zoo visitors at risk after data breach

The Oregon Zoo has announced a significant data breach that may have compromised the credit card information of nearly 118,000 visitors between December 2023 and June 2024. This revelation comes after the zoo sent notifications to affected individuals and reported the incident to the Maine attorney general’s office.

 

According to the zoo, the breach was discovered following a monthlong investigation triggered by unusual activity on the ticketing website operated by a third-party vendor. The site experienced numerous failed transactions, raising red flags among zoo staff. Subsequent inquiries revealed that an "unauthorized actor" had managed to redirect customer transactions, potentially gaining access to sensitive payment card information.

 

Hova Najarian, a spokesperson for the Oregon Zoo, confirmed that notifications were sent to over 77,000 Oregonians and nearly 23,000 Washington residents whose data may have been compromised. Despite the severity of the breach, Najarian assured us that no customers had reported any financial losses due to the incident.

 

In response to the breach, the Oregon Zoo has decommissioned the affected ticketing system and implemented a new one. Federal law enforcement has been notified, and the zoo is offering one year of free credit monitoring to those potentially impacted.

 

The breach has raised concerns among visitors, especially as it involves many individuals over a prolonged period. The Oregon Zoo urged affected visitors to remain vigilant and monitor their financial accounts for any signs of unauthorized activity.