Island Direct denies cybersecurity breach

Island Direct denies cybersecurity breach
Island Direct Logo

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — A local food delivery company has asserted that there is a “zero percent chance” its customers had been affected by a security breach on its platform.

IslandDirect.com has come under heavy criticism by customers alleging that they incurred fraudulent charges after using the company’s online shopping application.

The company however pushed back against those allegations in a statement posted to its Facebook page, stating that shopping on its platform was safer than shopping on sites such as Amazon, Walmart and Expedia.

The statement read: “The security of our customers data is of the utmost importance at IslandDirect.com. It is for that very reason that IslandDirect.com does not capture nor store credit card data. Our SSL certificate has not been approached by a cyber-attack since we took our first order in August of 2016. We ran an investigation when several customers reached out. Our credit card processor and Citibank both confirmed no suspicious activity not yesterday (Friday) not ever before.”

It continued: “Ordering on IslandDirect.com is safer than shopping at any physical location or digitally on websites like Amazon, Walmart or Expedia simply because we don’t store data unlike all the entities referenced above. IslandDirect.com is like a store that is locked like a bank vault. If you get in there, you’ll have discovered there is nothing there to steal.

“It’s an empty store. We are aware customers have experienced credit fraud. However we assure you it is not a result of your usage of our website. The bank and entity that charged them is based in the EU.

“The charges are even in EU currency. We are a US based company that uses a US bank. We assure our customers there is a 0 per cent chance that our security has been breached or your data has been stolen or compromised. If you do have suspicious activity we strongly encourage you to contact your bank.”

Dozens of customers took to social media over the weekend claiming fraudulent charges and attempted fraudulent purchases in some cases amounting to hundreds of dollars after using the company’s app.

BahamasLocal also warned consumers via its Facebook page.

“Do Not USE Island Direct for your shopping pick up. There has been far to many people being overcharged and also far to many now having there cards compromised.They are also NOT based in The Bahamas,” the BahamasLocal post read.

Local cybersecurity expert Gamin Wilson, managing director of Bahamas Cyber Shield told Eyewitness News that cyber security is an ongoing concern as criminals are always looking for an opportunity.

“Cybersecurity is something we should always be concerned about,” Wilson said.

“It doesn’t go away. Criminals are always looking for an opportunity and cybercriminals are no different. The key is to be vigilant and adopt a set of default behaviors that will make it less likely for you to be hacked or have your card breached. One of those behaviors is never share your debit/credit card information in an unsecured manner or store your information on a website/app. Some times this can not be avoided but I would only do so with very large reputable companies.

“Personally, that is Netflix, Amazon, PayPal and Google. While no site is completely safe I know that those sites take cybersecurity seriously and have dedicated cybersecurity teams.”

He added: “As a result of the current crisis affecting the world, many local organizations will be implementing some forms of online payments and more customers will be conducting online transactions. Both parties should be aware of the risks and their responsibility to protect their data. Companies especially need to be aware of their responsibilities/liabilities under not only our data protection act but also under international laws such as the GDPR enacted in the European Union in May 2018.”

2 comments

Island direct is the only company I gave my debit card information to and the next thing I know my account is empty. Also a debit was put through for groceries I did not receive.

Sorry but Island Direct app needs to shutdown as many many persons was hit and for them to say it’s not due to their app?!? The problem was your app…period!!!

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