Cosmetics Firm Warns Customers of Security Breach

Cult make-up brand Benefit has revealed some of its customer names and e-mail addresses may have been compromised following a security breach.

The cosmetics firm alerted web users to the breach, which affected a former unnamed e-mail vendor and not Benefit itself, via e-mail. (See also "10 Quick Fixes for the Worst Security Nightmares.")

Benefit, which also allows web users to purchase its goods online, said the only information at risk was names and e-mail addresses.

"The vendor has assured us that 'a rigorous assessment determined that no other personal identifiable information associated with those names was at risk. A full investigation is currently underway'," Benefit said.

"We have taken action to ensure that the entire database be removed from that vendor's files."

The cosmetics firm warned some web users may face spam e-mails as a result of the breach. However, the firm advised web users to only open e-mails from senders they know.

"Benefit will never ask for transactional information, such as credit card numbers via e-mail, so delete any request," the firm added.

The data breach is thought to have also affected several other companies that work with the vendor, although they have not yet been named.

There has been a spate of similar security breaches recently, with both Play.com and TripAdvisor being affected.

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See also: Firms lose £1.9m per data security breach