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McDonald’s Says Hackers Stole Customer Data in Korea, Taiwan

McDonald’s Says Hackers Stole Customer Data in Korea, Taiwan

McDonald’s Corp. said hackers accessed some customer data in South Korea and Taiwan, adding the fast-food chain to the growing list of companies grappling with cyberattacks in recent weeks.

After discovering unauthorized activity on its network, the company determined that “a small number of files were accessed, some of which contained personal data,” according to an emailed statement Friday. The access has been closed off, and no customer payment information was in the breached files, McDonald’s said.

The company said it will also be taking steps in some markets “to address files that contained employee personal data.” It didn’t say how many customers or employees were affected.

Data breaches from organized hackers have become a serious risk for consumer-facing companies around the globe in recent years, as corporations collect and store increasingly more information on shoppers in order to fulfill online orders and personalize experiences.

Big corporations have suffered a string of high-profile cyberattacks in the past few weeks, though the McDonald’s breach appears to be less crippling than others. Electronic Arts Inc. said Thursday that hackers recently stole source code for some popular games and other materials. A ransomware attack earlier this spring forced Colonial Pipeline Co. to shut down, and another one disrupted operations of meat processor JBS.

McDonald’s shares rose 0.6% at 9:35 a.m. in New York. They’ve risen about 10% since the start of the year, just shy of the S&P 500.

The Wall Street Journal reported earlier on the breach.

©2021 Bloomberg L.P.