Excerpt from Livemint Article, Published on September 16, 2025
Kering, the parent company of luxury giants like Gucci, Balenciaga, and Saint Laurent, has confirmed a significant data breach that exposed customer details across several of its globally recognized brands. The incident was discovered in June 2025 after an unauthorized third party, identified by the hacker moniker “Shiny Hunters,” gained access to Kering’s systems and extracted client data. According to Kering, no financial information—such as bank account numbers, credit card details, or government-issued identification numbers—was compromised during the breach.
The attackers claim to have accessed data tied to 7.4 million unique email addresses and shared a sample with media, which contained thousands of legitimate customer records. Among the stolen data is a “Total Sales” metric for each customer, revealing how much they spent across Kering’s brands. Experts warn that such records, though lacking payment information, could expose high-spenders to targeted phishing and scams. Some customers are reported to have spent upwards of $10,000, with figures occasionally reaching between $30,000 and $86,000.
Kering acted swiftly after identifying the threat, stating that affected brands immediately notified authorities and customers, consistent with legal requirements. Despite claims from Shiny Hunters that ransom negotiations occurred, Kering maintains it refused all contact and chose not to pay, aligning with law enforcement guidance. The breach is part of a wider trend, as other luxury houses like Cartier and Louis Vuitton have also faced attacks in 2025.
Cybersecurity experts emphasize that even non-financial information, including personal details and spending histories, can be weaponized by criminals seeking new targets. In response, Kering has reinforced its IT security measures and continues to investigate the incident. Customers concerned about the breach can find best practices for data risk management in CertPro’s latest guidelines on luxury brand cyber threats.
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