- The alleged customer information from 19 million talktalk -customers have been discovered online
- However, the authenticity of the violation is in doubt
- Talktalk says it is investigating the requirements
British Broadband and TV giant TalkTalk examines a possible data violation after alleged customer information was found for sale on a cyber crime forum.
Reports from Registered Has confirmed that this violation is suspected of originating through a third -party provider and may affect up to 19 million earlier and current customers in the Talk Talk.
The hacker, who published the data using the handle ‘B0ND’, claims that the data contains personally identifiable information (PII), here is what we know so far.
Another Telco -Objective
The data is said to include PII such as E -Mail addresses, full names, IP addresses, phone numbers and subscriber pins.
“As part of our regular security monitoring, considering our continuous focus on protecting customers’ personal data, we were made aware of unexpected access to and abuse of one of our third -party supplier systems, but no billing or financial information was saved On this system, ”Talktalk said Registered.
“Our security event teams continue to work with the supplier on this case, and the protective insert stage was taken right away.”
However, the authenticity of the violation has already been in doubt, largely because of the size of the data set, which contains 18.9 million individual data that is significantly greater than the company’s current customer base.
Calculations from Registered Estimated that since its inception in 2003, Talk Talk has never collected as many customers as the data set claims to contain.
“Our studies are underway, but we can confirm that the number of potential customers mentioned in certain online posts is completely inaccurate and very markedly exaggerated,” talked talk.
Unfortunately, TalkTalk is no stranger to data violations as it suffered a ‘significant’ cyberattack back in 2015, which led to up to 150,000 of its British -based customers’ data postponed – landing the company a GDPR in £ 400,000 not to implement ‘they’ they ‘they’ Most basic cyber security measures, “which allowed hackers to” penetrate its systems with ease. “
It is not the only major telecommunications company that runs in trouble recently, with up to 9 companies violated by Chinese state actors in a ‘major incident’ late in 2024.
What to do after a violation
If you think your data may have been compromised in this or other data violation, there are a few ways you can protect yourself and mitigate any damage.
If your information has been postponed, this leaves you risk of attackers using your data to commit identity theft, so it is crucial to monitor your bank accounts and credit reports. Alternatively, checking our list of best identity theft protection can simplify the process for you.
Without identity theft -protection services, if you notice any suspicious activity in your accounts, call your bank right away, freeze your credit, change your passwords and probably submit police reports – which can be a rather overwhelming process.
Also a problem is social engineering attacks, most often in the form of sophisticated phishing fraud. When attackers have access to your PII, they can construct scams specifically for you and pose as family members or services that you use regularly.
To protect yourself from these, the key is vigilant. Be sure to check the credentials IE emails, texts or calls you receive – especially those who are unexpected and require action.
If you are offered an appointment that is too good to be true or be hit with an emotional plea – be extra careful to verify the sender’s identity and do not hand over your information to someone you do not know.
Be extremely careful when clicking on links on E emails as this can lead to viruses or malware installed on your device and may result in further information being taken.
Data violations are an unfortunate inevitability for anyone with an online presence, so proactively taking steps to protect yourself is a good way to stay sure to secure yourself. Particularly important is to ensure that you do not repeat passwords for multiple websites as it means that if a password is postponed in a violation, it is contained in just one site that protects the rest of your data.
For security, a great tool is a multifactor approval app that provides an additional layer of security for sensitive information. Yes, they can be a bit of trouble when you crawl after your phone to access the right code, but they are much more practical than getting your bank details stolen.
