Data Breach at VTech Hits Child Profiles, Adult Accounts

VTech Holdings Ltd., the Hong Kong maker of digital learning toys and cordless phones, said Tuesday that information about at least 6.4 million children had been exposed in a recent data breach. That is in addition to records for 4.9 million adult customers VTech had previously said were affected.

In a statement posted on its website, the company said child profile information only includes name, gender and date of birth. Parent account information includes name, email address, password details, mailing address and Internet protocol address.

On Monday, VTech said an "unauthorized party" had hacked into its systems on Nov. 14; the breach was discovered Nov. 24. The company said it had reached out to every account holder in its database.

The data accessed was on VTech's Learning Lodge app store, which allows users to download learning games and other educational content. VTech's website on Tuesday continued to say it had "temporarily suspended" the Learning Lodge site.

The incident points to increased worry about children's privacy as they, like their parents, put more of their personal information online to use modern toys or social networks.

There remains no evidence the hacker in the breach is seeking to profit from the data or cause harm to those affected. A journalist for Vice Media LLC first reported on the incident after being contacted by the alleged hacker. When the journalist asked the hacker what he or she planned to do with the data, the hacker said, "Nothing."

Write to Danny Yadron at [e-mail]

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(END) Dow Jones Newswires

December 01, 2015 15:55 ET (20:55 GMT)

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