The Associated Press (AP) has warned of a data breach affecting its AP Stylebook clients, with the stolen data being used to launch phishing attacks. It announced that its AP Stylebook website, which is managed by a third party and is no longer in use, was hacked in July. 224 customers had their personal information stolen.

According to the AP, it first became aware of the potential data breach on 20 July 2023, after its customers reported receiving phishing emails. The AP took the old website offline to prevent further attacks. The company also began notifying AP Stylebook customers of the phishing attacks in late July and requiring all customers of AP Stylebook to reset their passwords.

Why does it matter?

The AP Stylebook is used by journalists, magazines, and newsrooms around the world as a guide to grammar, punctuation, and writing style. Cybercriminals highly covet journalists and media companies' credentials. Gaining access to a media company's network could lead to a wide range of attacks, including extortion, ransomware, stealing data, and cyberespionage.