Description

Japanese advertising giant Dentsu has confirmed a data breach involving its U.S.-based subsidiary Merkle, which led to the exposure of sensitive employee and client information. The company detected abnormal activity within Merkle’s network and promptly initiated incident response procedures, including taking certain systems offline to contain the threat and minimize disruption. According to Dentsu, the incident has been reported to relevant authorities across all affected regions as per legal and regulatory requirements. While the company has not disclosed the full scope of the breach, it acknowledged that unauthorized access resulted in the theft of files containing data related to clients, suppliers, and current and former employees. Internal communications revealed that exposed information may include bank and payroll details, salary information, National Insurance numbers, and personal contact details. Dentsu is in the process of notifying impacted individuals and offering assistance as part of its remediation plan. Merkle, a major player in Customer Experience Management (CXM) and data-driven marketing, operates across North America, EMEA, and APAC with over 16,000 employees and annual revenue exceeding $2 billion. Its clientele includes global corporations such as Nestlé, Microsoft, American Express, and Hilton. Dentsu stated that its Japan-based systems were not affected, though the incident is expected to have some financial impact. The company has engaged third-party cybersecurity experts to support the ongoing investigation. So far, no ransomware group has claimed responsibility, and the investigation continues to determine the full scale of the breach.