A report from Motherboard details the detection of a data breach affecting the telephone company Verizon, an incident that would have put at risk the personal records of thousands of employees. The leak would include employees’ full names, corporate IDs, email addresses, and phone numbers.
Even though Verizon was notified and has already acknowledged the leak, its representatives deny that the compromised information poses a security threat to its employees and customers.
The alleged hackers behind this incident claimed that it was very easy for them to access this database, as they simply had to contact a Verizon employee and pose as a co-worker in the internal support area. After fooling this unsuspecting employee, the hackers were able to connect to Verizon’s internal tool and access sensitive information.
Once in the database, the hacker reported having created a tool that allowed them to download the information stored in the company’s systems. Verizon would soon receive a ransom note threatening to expose the compromised information if a $250,000 ransom is not paid.
Not a security risk?
As mentioned above, a Verizon representative stated that the company does not consider the compromised records as confidential information, so they do not plan to negotiate any ransom with the hackers. The representative added that, for Verizon, information security is a serious matter, so the company has the best measures to protect their customer and employees’ data.
Information security specialists differ from Verizon’s stance, as while the leak does not involve passwords, bank records, or social security numbers, the stolen data could still prove useful for multiple hacking groups. Phishing campaigns, phone fraud, SIM swap, and email spam are just some of the risks to which those affected could be exposed.
Feel free to access the International Institute of Cyber Security (IICS) websites to learn more about information security risks, malware variants, vulnerabilities, and information technologies.
He is a well-known expert in mobile security and malware analysis. He studied Computer Science at NYU and started working as a cyber security analyst in 2003. He is actively working as an anti-malware expert. He also worked for security companies like Kaspersky Lab. His everyday job includes researching about new malware and cyber security incidents. Also he has deep level of knowledge in mobile security and mobile vulnerabilities.
