Honda security breach exposes 283,000 customers

Honda's Canadian division has suffered a data breach that exposed the personal information of 283,000 customers, according to its website and published media reports.

The purloined data includes the names, addresses and vehicle identification numbers of customers who made purchases in 2009. The company is warning customers to be wary of scams, which could use the stolen information to trick customers into revealing additional data, which could be used in identity theft.

“We do not recommend that customers take any specific action at this time, other than being alert for marketing campaigns from third parties that reference your ownership of a Honda vehicle,” Honda's online advisory stated.

According to The Toronto Star, the breach affects 283,000 customers. Honda's advisory also said that Honda Financial Services account numbers were also exposed "in a small number of cases."

It's the second time in less than six months that Honda has reported a security breach that leaked customer's personally identifiable information. In late December, Honda's US division warned that hackers made off with a database containing the names, email addresses, and vehicle identification numbers of 2.2 million customers.

Honda's latest warning comes as Sony begins restoring some online gaming services to customers in Asia. The company exposed details for more than 100 million customers after hackers penetrated systems for its PlayStation Network and Sony Online Entertainment service. ®