Monday, November 5, 2018
The United States is second only to China in the number of books published annually. And U.S. publishers, from the largest conglomerates to solo authorpreneurs, who wish to release paperback and/or hardback books must purchase a unique International Standard Book Number (ISBN) for each through R.W. Bowker’s site, www.myidentifiers.com (or obtain them from a platform provider that has purchased ISBNs from Bowker in bulk). And R.W. Bowker revealed Nov. 1, 2018, that its site had been hacked.
Bowker learned of the breach from the payment card networks, which had detected patterns of unauthorized charges occurring on cards after they were legitimately used on the company’s website. “We immediately launched an investigation and engaged a leading forensic firm to assist,” Bowker posted in a notice to customers. “Our investigation has identified unauthorized code that was added to the checkout page on our website.
“Based on currently available evidence, our investigation is focused on determining if the code was active from May 1, 2018 through Oct. 23, 2018. However, because our investigation is continuing, complete findings are not available and it is too early to provide further details on the investigation. We anticipate providing notification to any affected customers as we get further clarity about the specific timeframes and orders that may have been affected.”
Bowker went on to assure customers that protecting their data is a top priority and the company intends to “vigilantly pursue this matter quickly to resolution.” It urged customers to closely monitor their payment card account statements and contact their card issuers if they see unauthorized charges. The company also reminded consumers that the card companies typically do not hold cardholders responsible for unauthorized charges.
For the time being, the shopping cart function of www.myidentifiers.com is disabled while the company investigates the incident and works to enhance its security. It does direct customers to alternative ways to purchase ISBNs, including faxing in an order form.
Bowker did not mention offering affected customers any sort of compensation for their inconvenience, or even offer an apology. But then, the company has a monopoly on ISBN assignments in the United States, so it does not have to worry about losing customers as a result of this breach.
(In the time it took to write this article, the number of books published worldwide so far this year increased to 2, 220, 403, according to Worldometers.)
Editor's Note:
The Green Sheet Inc. is now a proud affiliate of Bankcard Life, a premier community that provides industry-leading training and resources for payment professionals. Click here for more information.
Notice to readers: These are archived articles. Contact names or information may be out of date. We regret any inconvenience.
