Dell required Dell.com users to reset their passwords after detecting and disrupting suspicious activity that attempted to extract customer information. The company said names, email addresses and hashed passwords were in scope, but it found no conclusive evidence that any information was extracted. If you reused your Dell password elsewhere, change it on those accounts too: resetting it at Dell does not change it on other services.
What happened in Dell’s 2018 incident?
Dell announced the incident on November 28, 2018. It said it had detected and disrupted unauthorized network activity on November 9 that was attempting to extract information from Dell.com. Dell described the event as a “potential cybersecurity incident.” In its company announcement, Dell said: “Though it is possible some of this information was removed from Dell’s network, our investigations found no conclusive evidence that any was extracted.”
That distinction matters: Dell reported an attempted extraction, not confirmed theft of the listed customer information. The company said it engaged an independent digital forensics firm and law enforcement as part of its response.
What information did Dell say was involved?
Dell said the activity attempted to access customer names, email addresses and hashed passwords. It also said credit-card and other sensitive customer information were not targeted, and the incident did not affect Dell products or services.
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Hashing is a way of storing a transformed representation of a password rather than the password itself. Dell cited hashing as a protective measure, but it still required a password reset as a precaution. The company’s statement does not establish that attackers obtained the hashes or that any customer password was decrypted.
Why did Dell require password resets?
A mandatory reset reduced the risk of continued use of a potentially exposed Dell.com credential despite the lack of conclusive evidence that information had been extracted. Dell said it reset passwords for Dell.com users and encouraged anyone who reused their Dell password elsewhere to change those other passwords too.
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What should you do if you used the same password elsewhere?
- Change the password on every account where you reused it. Start with email, financial, shopping and other important accounts. A reset on Dell.com does not update credentials on those services. The Federal Trade Commission’s password guidance likewise recommends changing reused passwords after a company reports a breach.
- Give each account a unique password. A password manager or a browser’s saved-password feature can help you create and keep track of distinct credentials, as the FTC notes in its guidance.
- Turn on multifactor authentication where available. An authenticator app or security key provides stronger protection than codes sent by text or email when those options are offered. The FTC recommends stronger options when available; the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s MFA guidance identifies physical security keys as a strong method and recommends phishing-resistant MFA. These are general account-security measures, not steps Dell specifically required in 2018.
Is this the same as Dell’s 2024 incident?
No. The 2018 event concerned attempted extraction from Dell’s network and led to a mandatory Dell.com password reset. A separate incident disclosed in May 2024 involved a purchase-related portal and different reported data. Dell’s reported categories included names, physical addresses, service tags, item descriptions, order dates and warranty information. Dell said that information did not include financial or payment information, email addresses, telephone numbers or highly sensitive customer information. TechCrunch’s May 2024 report said Dell did not disclose the number of people affected or how that incident occurred in its response to the outlet. A hacking-forum seller claimed the dataset concerned 49 million people; that was the seller’s claim, not a confirmed Dell count.
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