MWeb says it is taking action to rectify a breach in security on Monday that resulted in more than 2 000 customer usernames and passwords being published on the Web.

The company says that, in practice, fewer than 1 000 customers’ details — they were all subscribers to MWeb Business — were compromised, and only briefly, when hackers gained access to Internet Solutions’ self-service management system.

TechCentral first reported news of the incident at lunchtime on Monday.

MWeb uses the system for customers who are on Internet Solutions’ telecommunications backbone. Many of the affected customers had already migrated to MWeb’s own network infrastructure and the company says it is working with Internet Solutions to investigate the nature and source of the compromise and to ensure that it does not happen again.

MWeb Business GM Andre Joubert says only usernames and passwords for people using broadband digital subscriber lines were compromised. “The integrity of the personal or private data related to the accounts remains intact, as do the access credentials for each customer’s bundled on-site router,” he says.

“Nevertheless we see this breach in a very serious light and deeply regret any inconvenience this may cause affected customers,” Joubert says.

“As soon as the breach came to our attention, we took immediate action to ascertain the extent of the compromise and to limit any damage that might have been caused. MWeb Business is in the process of contacting all affected customers to advise them that their passwords are being changed remotely.” — Staff reporter, TechCentral