Dell required Dell.com customers to reset their passwords after detecting an attempted extraction of customer information in November 2018. Dell said the activity targeted names, email addresses, and hashed passwords, but its investigation found no conclusive evidence that information had been extracted. That is not the same as confirming that no data left Dell’s network.
What happened in November 2018?
Dell said it detected and disrupted unauthorized activity attempting to extract Dell.com customer information on November 9, 2018. The company announced the incident on November 28 and said it had imposed a mandatory password reset. Dell’s announcement, filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, is available in its November 28, 2018 statement and Form 8-K.
What information was involved?
According to Dell, the attempted extraction involved customer names, email addresses, and hashed passwords. Dell said it was possible some information had been removed from its network, but its investigation found no conclusive evidence that any had been extracted. The company did not report a confirmed amount of data taken or a final forensic finding establishing that none left its network.
Dell said credit-card and other sensitive customer information were not targeted, and that the incident did not affect Dell products or services. Those are the company’s statements about the incident’s scope.
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Why did Dell require a password reset?
Dell said it used password hashing and required customers to reset Dell.com passwords as a precaution. The announcement does not identify the hashing method, so “hashed” should not be read as proof that passwords were impossible to recover or misuse.
Dell also advised customers who had reused their Dell.com password elsewhere to change it on those other accounts. A password used on multiple sites can put those accounts at risk if the credential is exposed or guessed; using a different password for each account limits that overlap.
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What should affected customers do?
- Reset your Dell.com password if you have not already done so, following Dell’s account prompts.
- Change the password anywhere else you reused the same one. Choose a distinct password for each account.
- If you cannot access your Dell.com account, use Dell’s current account-recovery process rather than reusing the old password.
Dell said it implemented countermeasures, began an investigation, retained an independent digital forensics firm, and engaged law enforcement. Its November 2018 announcement does not specify the reset mechanics or a customer-impact count.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Is this the same as Dell’s 2024 data incident?
No. The 2018 announcement concerns an attempted extraction from Dell.com and a mandatory password reset. In May 2024, TechCrunch reported a separate incident involving a Dell portal and customer names, physical addresses, and hardware and order details such as service tags, item descriptions, order dates, and warranty information. Dell said email addresses, telephone numbers, and payment information were not included in that later incident, according to TechCrunch’s May 9, 2024 report. TechCrunch later reported that Ireland’s Data Protection Commission had received a notification and that the matter was under assessment in its May 16, 2024 report. Those reports describe a different event and do not establish what happened to data in 2018.
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