Description

A hacker using the alias "Empire" has reportedly listed a database containing over 3.17 million records from Honda Cars India Ltd for sale on a well-known cybercrime forum. The exposed data is said to include highly sensitive customer information such as full names, aliases, addresses, customer IDs, phone numbers, and email addresses. The breach, which allegedly occurred in March 2025, is one of the most significant cybersecurity incidents affecting the automotive industry. According to the hacker's claims, the stolen data set contains approximately 2.86 million phone numbers and 1.9 million email addresses, with a sample provided as proof of authenticity. Honda Cars India has not yet released an official statement regarding the breach, but this incident highlights the increasing cybersecurity challenges faced by the automotive sector. This is not the first time Honda has encountered security issues back in 2018, a misconfigured AWS S3 bucket led to the accidental exposure of thousands of customer records linked to Honda’s Connect services. Additionally, Honda has been targeted by cyberattacks in the past, including ransomware incidents that disrupted operations worldwide. As the automotive industry continues to integrate digital platforms and interconnected vehicle systems, its vulnerability to cyber threats grows. Experts have noted a rise in data breaches and ransomware attacks, with cybercriminals actively targeting valuable information generated by modern vehicles. A breach of this scale can have severe consequences for affected customers, including identity theft and phishing scams. Security professionals advise customers to monitor their accounts for unusual activity, change passwords regularly, and remain vigilant against potential fraud attempts. Meanwhile, companies must adopt stricter cybersecurity measures to protect customer data and prevent future attacks. This incident underscores the urgent need for the automotive sector to strengthen its cybersecurity defenses. Industry specialists recommend adopting advanced security solutions, such as AI-powered Security Operations Centers (vSOCs), to enhance threat detection and safeguard sensitive customer information from cybercriminals.