Business Software Bug Exposed Some Company Data to the Internet

ServiceNow, a software platform used by thousands of businesses to manage their internal operations, notified customers about a security bug. The bug caused some customer data to be exposed to the internet where it should have been private. ServiceNow confirmed that several customers had their data accessed because of this security flaw. This affects you indirectly if you are a customer or employee of a company that uses ServiceNow. Many large companies use this platform to handle employee requests, track IT issues, manage HR tasks, or coordinate customer service. If your employer or a company you do business with uses ServiceNow, your personal information in their systems may have been exposed. This could include your name, email address, employee ID, or details about service requests you made.

Here is what you should do right now.

1. Watch for notifications from your employer or any companies you do business with about a ServiceNow data exposure.
2. If you receive such a notification, follow their specific instructions carefully.
3. Be extra cautious about emails that appear to come from your employer or service providers, especially if they ask you to click links or provide information. Scammers often follow data breaches with phishing attacks.
4. Monitor your accounts for any unusual activity.
5. If you use the same password for work accounts and personal accounts, change your personal account passwords immediately. This incident shows that even when you protect your own information carefully, it can be exposed because of problems with software your employer or service providers use. You cannot prevent every data exposure, but you can limit the damage. Use a unique password for every important account so that one breach does not compromise everything. Enable two factor authentication wherever possible. Stay alert for suspicious emails, especially after hearing about any data breach. Keep an eye on your financial accounts and credit report throughout the year.