"The security incident was limited to a database serving our Southeast Asia, Hong Kong SAR and Australia/New Zealand customers who used our online services," Sephora stated, adding that it was safe for customers to continue using its website and mobile app. Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/sephora-data-breach-singapore-malaysia-indonesia-thailand-nz-11763006"

The company also said it detected the data breach "over the last two weeks" and immediately appointed independent experts to investigate. Affected customers were notified as soon as the details of the incident had been verified. 

• Wait, they investigated the breach "over the last two weeks", and they notified the experts immediately (so when did the breach actually occur because identifying a breach is not indicative of when it actually took place)?. This could have happened days, months or years before. so the statement leaves room for interpretation.  

A spokesperson from Brunswick Group, a strategy advisory firm working with Sephora Southeast Asia, told CNA that the company's regional databases operate independently.

• If the database operated independently, then how did the actors obtain the usernames, first & last name, encrypted passwords among other things. In most databases, there is a foreign key that connects the primary table with other tables or to external tables (that is if it is a relational DB).  So if they were able to access this first database containing the table, then they would have had access to the other data or at least parts of it.

Sephora customers who are not from the involved markets are "not affected in any way by this incident", the spokesperson said.

• I think the first question I would ask is "who is from the involved markets"?

The external independent experts engaged by Sephora also concluded that there was "no major vulnerability" found on Sephora's Southeast Asia websites and also did not find any traces of a cyberattack.

• Isn't that a marketing ploy to try and save face so to minimize the damage that has already occurred, because if the breach was minimal, then why did they bring a cyber-group who are experts in the field to the scene?. Almost like bringing big guns to look at a small problem. 

"We can also confirm no credit card information was accessed and have no evidence that any personal data has been misused," the spokesperson added. 

• Hmm, in most breaches, the hacker looks for a buyer on the black market, it takes time for them to find someone who can use this person's data, so even though it did not take place now, it will in time.