Forrester data breach: Hackers stole sensitive reports from leading market research company

One of the world's leading market research and investment advisory firms, Forrester, announced that it was hit by a cyberattack last week. According to the company, hackers stole sensitive research reports from the company.

The company offers customers trends, statistics and other market research, which is employed by businesses prior to launching their specific products and/or services. Forrester's clients use its website to log in and download specific research, which hackers accessed.

Forrester said that there is no evidence to suggest that confidential client and employee data, as well as financial information, were accessed by the hackers.

"We recognise that hackers will attack attractive targets – in this case, our research IP. We also understand there is a trade-off between making it easy for our clients to access our research and security measures," George F Colony, Forrester CEO and chairman, said in a statement.

"We feel that we have taken a common-sense approach to those two priorities; however, we will continuously look at that balance to respond to changing cybersecurity risks."

Forrester's chief business technology officer Steven Peltzman said, "The hacker used that access to steal research reports made available to our clients." According to Peltzman, the hackers stole valid user credentials of Forrester's website, which in turn gave them access to the firm's accounts, Bleeping Computer reported.

The firm said that it is still investigating the breach and is yet to identify the hackers who gained access to the company's infrastructure hosting its website Forrester.com.

IBTimes UK has reached out to Forrester for further clarity on the matter.

The breach marks the fourth time in recent months that a major financial and business organisation has suffered a cybersecurity incident. Equifax, Deloitte and the US SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) were the three others that were also recently hit by hackers.