Ikea App TaskRabbit Reveals Security Breach

Ikea's odd jobs marketplace TaskRabbit is investigating a "cybersecurity incident," the company has announced. The app and website let people find freelance workers to complete household tasks such as cleaning, gardening or assembling flat-pack furniture. TaskRabbit hasn't revealed the nature of the incident, but said it was working with law enforcement and a cybersecurity firm to investigate. TaskRabbit's app and website have been temporarily closed.

Total Retail's Take: Data security, or a lack thereof it, has been in the headlines recently as many brands have suffered breaches. In addition to brands’ own systems being hacked (e.g., Hudson's Bay's Saks Fifth Avenue and Lord & Taylor stores), retailers’ third-party partners’ systems have also been hacked (e.g., Sears, Ikea). The reality of the matter is that retailers need to be just as concerned about the data privacy and security practices in place at their vendor partners’ businesses as they are about their own. Customers don't care about where the breach occurred; only that their personal information has gotten in the hands of criminals. The retailer gets the blame, and suffers the consequences – fines, loss of customer trust, etc.