Topline
Around 37 million T-Mobile customers recently had their personal information compromised in the company’s second major hack in less than two years, the company said Thursday, adding hackers were able to access customers’ names, addresses and dates of birth but not highly sensitive financial information like Social Security and credit card numbers.
Pedestrians walk by a T-Mobile store on April 24, 2017, in San Francisco.
Key Facts
Hackers were additionally able to see customers’ emails, phone numbers and details about their plans, including account numbers, T-Mobile said in a regulatory filing.
The company said it became aware of the breach on January 5 but was able to stop the malicious activity within a day.
The data compromise likely started around November 25, according to T-Mobile, which says it is now “working with law enforcement” on the matter.
T-Mobile said it found “no evidence” the hacker “was able to breach or compromise our systems or our network.”
The company’s stock dropped nearly 1.5% in after-hours trading Thursday to $143.
Crucial Quote
“We may incur significant expenses in connection with this incident,” T-Mobile said in the filing.
Key Background
This is the second major hack involving T-Mobile in the past few years. In 2021, hackers were able to steal the personal information of more than 54 million customers in a ransomware attack, and later attempted to sell off the data. Unlike the recent attack, hackers in the 2021 incident managed to access Social Security numbers and information from driver’s licenses. T-Mobile said it committed to “a substantial multi-year investment” to boost its cybersecurity following the 2021 hack, claiming Thursday it has “made substantial progress to date.”
What To Watch For
T-Mobile said it does not expect the hack to impact company operations but acknowledged it is “unable to predict the full impact” of the hack at this time.
Further Reading
T-Mobile’s Hack Of 50 Million Users Leaves Black Community At Risk (Forbes)
