Google's cell network provider Google Fi has confirmed a data breach, likely related to the recent security incident at T-Mobile, which allowed hackers to steal millions of customer information.
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On Monday, Google sent an email to its customers, obtained by TechCrunch. The message said that the main network provider for Google Fi had notified them of suspicious activity related to a third-party support system that contains some user information from their service. Although the amount of customer data was small, this security breach is concerning and needs to be addressed quickly.
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In the wake of T-Mobile’s latest data breach, which exposed a trove of personal information belonging to 37 million customers, Google Fi noticed a problem and sent out an alert. This suggests that this intrusion may be connected to T-Mobile’s infamous cybersecurity incident on January 19th. Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time either: there have been eight separate breaches targeting T-Mobile since 2018! It’s more important than ever for both companies and consumers to prioritize cybersecurity measures inorder to protect vital data from being compromised once again.
Google Fi recently suffered a security breach, and hackers gained access to limited customer information, such as phone numbers, account statements, SIM card serial numbers, and details about mobile service plans – including whether customers have opted for unlimited SMS or international roaming services.
To reassure its customers, Google declared that the hackers did not obtain confidential data, such as payment card details, passwords and PINs, or text messages and call logs.
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While some emails told customers that “no action is required,” at least one Google Fi customer claimed in a Reddit post that his disclosure indicated that his phone number had been briefly compromised, known as SIM swapping. Some were warned that the breach could allow criminals to send and receive calls and messages from their number for up to two hours. This technique is used by hackers to gain access to a victim’s other online accounts protected by the same, albeit compromised, phone number.
It's also unclear how many Google Fi subscribers were affected by the breach. Google has not disclosed how many cell subscribers it has in total.
In an email to customers, the company said it has partnered with a third-party provider and is diligent in protecting its customers' data. It also assured customers that there was absolutely no access to any of Google's systems or those monitored by it.
Information source: techcrunch.com
