Who really owns the hacked Microsoft online store
There are lot of discussions going on about the security breach in the Microsoft online store (India). In this article, I will share the information I found about the ownership of the Microsoft India online store.
Last midnight the news spread that the Microsoft online store in India was hacked. Many news channels quickly reported Microsoft was saving the user passwords in plain text and failed to protect the user data.
I did some quick research and found some additional information. Here are some facts I found about the compromised Microsoft online store in India:
1. The domain name MicrosoftStore.Co.In is registered under the name of Microsoft Corporation (Source: GODaddy http://who.godaddy.com/whois.aspx?domain=microsoftstore.co.in&prog_id=GoDaddy)
2. The online store was leased by Microsoft to Quasar Media, an Indian company, based on an agreement made in early 2010. (Source: http://www.indiadigitalreview.com/news/microsoftstorecoin-launched-to-offer-microsoft-branded-products-online-in-india)
3. The "Terms of Use" page in the Microsoft online store website states "http://www.microsoftstore.co.in is a Site operated by by Quasar Media Pvt. Ltd"(Source: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:0zsHogt90k0J:www.microsoftstore.co.in/Terms_Con
ditions.aspx+site:microsoftstore.co.in)
4. Quasar Media Pvt Ltd is a Company registered under the Companies Act, 1956 and having its registered office at Vishal House, 136A, 2nd Floor, Zamrudpur, Opp. LSR College, New Delhi – 110 048. (Source: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:0zsHogt90k0J:www.microsoftstore.co.in/Terms_
Conditions.aspx+site:microsoftstore.co.in)
5. Throughout the site, the website calls itself as "Microsoft Store", indicating it is an official Microsoft store, but operated by a third party company.
6. Quasar Media is responsible to protect the user data online and not Microsoft. (Source: Privacy statement of Microsoft store, India. http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?sourceid=chrome
&ie=UTF-8&q=cache%3Awww.microsoftstore.co.in%2FPrivacy_Statement.aspx)
7. Microsoft online store has sent out an email to customers indicating the website was compromised and personal information including email address and passwords may have been exposed. (Source: http://www.zdnet.com/blog/india/microsoft-indias-web-store-and-sebis-website-attacked/886)