Avis Car Rental Suffers Data Breach Exposing Customer Information

Avis Car Rental has reported a data breach affecting customers' personal information after an unauthorized party accessed one of its business applications. The breach occurred between August 3 and August 6, 2024, compromising customer data, including names and other sensitive details. Avis says it has since contained the breach, launched an investigation with cybersecurity experts, and notified law enforcement authorities.

The company first discovered the breach on August 5, 2024, and has been working to secure its systems. Further investigation revealed that customer data had been accessed, leading Avis to notify impacted individuals on September 4, 2024. Avis' letter to customers explains that personal information, including names and potentially more sensitive data, was exposed. The exact data types exposed in this incident have been redacted in the letter sample Avis shared with the authorities in California.

Avis Rent-A-Car, part of the Avis Budget Group, is a major player in the global car rental market, with operations in over 165 countries. With millions of customers relying on its services for vehicle rentals, Avis maintains a strong presence at airports and urban locations worldwide. The size and scale of the company, which caters to both business and leisure travelers, make this data breach particularly concerning given its vast customer base.

To help mitigate the impact of the breach, Avis is offering affected individuals one year of free credit monitoring services through Equifax. This includes credit report monitoring, alerts for key changes, identity theft insurance, and fraud alerts. Customers have until December 31, 2024, to enroll in the service. The company also advises individuals to monitor their accounts for suspicious activity and take advantage of the resources offered by the credit bureaus to protect their personal information.

Avis says it is actively working towards strengthening its security systems to prevent future breaches, and has begun enhancing its security monitoring and implementing additional safeguards to protect against unauthorized access. Furthermore, Avis continues to collaborate with cybersecurity experts to ensure its defenses remain robust.

CyberInsider has contacted Avis to learn more about the incident, including how many customers it impacts and what data was exposed, and we will update this post as soon as we hear back.