Days before Christie's was expected to sell up to $840 million worth of art in an auction that included paintings by Warhol and Basquiat, the auction house experienced a “technical security issue” that took its website offline.
Some collectors and art advisors discovered the problem Thursday evening. The next morning, the website redirected visitors to a temporary page outside of its own web domain. “We apologize that our website is currently offline.” “We are working to resolve this issue as quickly as possible and apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.”
Christie's spokesman Edward Lewine said the security issue affected some of the company's systems, including its website.
“We are taking all necessary steps to manage this issue by engaging a team of additional technical experts,” he said in a statement. “We will provide our customers with further updates as appropriate.”
Recently, cyber attacks have been increasing in the art world. Last January, a service provider that helped the museum host its collections online and manage its internal documents was targeted by hackers. Organizations including the Metropolitan Opera and the Philadelphia Orchestra have faced cyberattacks that have disrupted their ability to sell tickets online.
“Attacks are constantly evolving, making it difficult for businesses to stay ahead of cybercrime,” said Chelsea Binns, a cybercrime expert who teaches at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Manhattan. He said.
Binns said it's best practice for companies to notify the public as quickly as possible if hackers have access to sensitive information.
The art market is an industry that operates on discretion, as its customers are often world leaders and powerful businessmen.
“Due to the personalities of our clients and the numbers involved, we expect better results than best practice,” says art advisor Todd Levin.
Levin said the cyberattack occurred at a critical moment before the spring sales, when potential buyers were confirming their interest in works of art expected to sell for tens of millions of dollars. He said if he were the seller, he wouldn't be thrilled right now. “How can potential bidders access the catalog?” Levin asked.