Auction house targeted

Hackers have accessed customer data from Christie’s

According to the auction house, hackers accessed "a limited amount of personal data".(Bild: AFP/MIGUEL MEDINA)

According to the auction house Christie's, some of its customers' data has been accessed in a cyber attack. There was a technical security incident at the beginning of the month. "We reacted quickly to protect our systems," the company said in London.

"Our investigations have revealed that a third party had unauthorized access to parts of Christie's network," the statement said. The group behind the case had accessed "a limited amount of personal data" of some customers. "There is no evidence that any financial or transactional data was compromised."

Ransomware hackers are said to be demanding money
Christie's is currently notifying data protection authorities and government agencies and will also contact the affected customers shortly, it said. The New York Times newspaper had previously reported that a hacker group called RansomHub claimed to be responsible for the attack and was demanding money. The auction house did not provide any details.

Auction postponed
Christie's had postponed an auction of watches owned by Formula 1 legend Michael Schumacher by one day in mid-May due to the incident. The traditional spring auctions in New York were also affected. At the time, there was talk of a technical security problem. Christie's took the official website offline and provided an alternative website with information.