T-Mobile US vendor Experian hit by hackers in attack dating back more than 2 years, impact could be beyond current customers
Updated to note impact could include people who did not become T-Mobile US customers.
T-Mobile US has been hit by hackers in an attack that includes personal identification information for approximately 15 million people who applied for postpaid services or device financing between Sept. 1, 2013, and Sept. 16, 2015. The carrier noted those impacted could include people who did not become T-Mobile US customers.
The attack occurred through one of Experian North America’s business units and included names, dates of birth, addresses, Social Security numbers, potentially alternative forms of identification like a drivers license number, and information used in T-Mobile US’ credit assessment. Experian claims the hack did not include any payment or banking information and that the hack did not breach any T-Mobile US-housed data.
T-Mobile US CEO John Legere in a letter on the carrier’s website, said it is working with Experian “to take protective steps for all of these consumers as quickly as possible.”
“Obviously I am incredibly angry about this data breach and we will institute a thorough review of our relationship with Experian, but right now my top concern and first focus is assisting any and all consumers affected,” Legere said. “I take our customer and prospective customer privacy very seriously. This is no small issue for us. I do want to assure our customers that neither T-Mobile’s systems nor network were part of this intrusion and this did not involve any payment card numbers or bank account information.”
Experian has set up two years of free credit monitoring to those T-Mobile US customers who may have been impacted by the data breach. T-Mobile US also posted a frequently asked questions page on its website with more information.
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