Anyone mind explaining what the hacker(s) was (were) going to do with the limited information they got? I read the security filing said they got a list of which phone numbers texted/called which phone numbers and what durations, but none of the actual content.
I’m guessing political blackmail. It’s easy to start linking phone numbers and find the senator that’s been texting his mistress every day or spending hour long calls with Russian numbers, etc
Important part below the preview:
AT&T said the hacked data did not include the content of calls and text messages. At this point, the exposed data is not believed to be publicly available.
Still bad, but it could have been far worse.
That said, I would bet that if this hasn’t already happened to most other carriers and it hasn’t been made public yet, it will happen soon enough.
That assumes every carrier has terrible security.
…which is probably a safe bet.
Given all the security training and certifications required to work in network security, I’m shocked that security is routinely so terrible.
I don’t think not knowing what to do is the problem. It’s more that the people who control the budgets don’t think it’s a priority.
“What do we even pay you for?” / “What do we even pay you for?”
Given all the security training and certifications required to work in network security,
Certifications cannot verify creativity, it’s why they’re kind of useless for a lot of IT(and I suppose other engineering fields). Security like QA requires exploring unique paths that other people wouldn’t have thought of
If paying the penalty for a breach is cheaper than preventing a breach…
Yup that’s my guess too
There needs to be extremely stiff penalties on companies that lose customer data. It should be a large enough penalty that companies are afraid to keep customer data.
This could include authorization codes to wealthy people’s investment accounts.
That’s when the big companies will pay. When the rich suffer.
The NSA has approved one harsh finger waggling and a $25 fine. Please stop losing government data.
The NSA isn’t in charge of this shit.
Kind of feels like they are though
The upside of this is if the penalties are bad enough they might stop collecting all the data in the first place
$5 says the US government requires them to collect it.
Ha ha, good one. How are US “security” services going to spy on everyone, if companies have good data security?
I agree, but also this is six months worth of data. I think most people would expect their records to be kept for at least a few months. If my kid suddenly disappeared, for example, I’d expect to be able to go to the phone company and get information on who she’s been talking to. I’d expect to be able to get records to prove harassment or bullying, too.
It would be nice to give people control over the retention of their own data. That would satisfy everyone’s needs, I would think.
Fairly certain after the Snowden leaks it’s pretty much guaranteed that every text message and every phone call you’ve ever made your whole life is documented
For them, not for thee…
I’d expect to be able to go to the phone company and get information on who she’s been talking to. I’d expect to be able to get records to prove harassment or bullying, too.
I know that’s the reality, but I would not expect that at all. Do you also expect you can call your ISP and get a list of all the sites your kid went to?
Do you also expect you can call your ISP and get a list of all the sites your kid went to?
Some helicopter parents absolutely would
I’m computer savvy enough to know the ISP wouldn’t have most of those records anyway. That said, I do my best to make sure if something happened to my 14 year old I could access the sites and conversations she has been to because she has some emotional issues that I don’t think are appropriate to explore on this particular thread. On the rare occasion I do check on her, I keep it to myself unless I were to see anything that made me fear for her safety.
I know that sounds draconian to some, but I guess you’d have to be in my situation to understand. I’m not talking about browsing porn, though we did try hard to stop that when she started at 8 or 9. I’m talking about sexting with folks on other continents who claim to be her age and sending nudes to her boyfriends.
I don’t do the same with my 12 year old because she has a lot more emotional maturity and I have no fear that she is going to get herself in trouble in that way, and if she did I have confidence that she would let us help her.
If they never stored this data, it wouldn’t exist to steal.
Seems like these sort of hacks always involve the company’s data about its users, and never their own confidential contracts, trade secrets, or other leaks that could directly damage their own operations.
It makes a guy suspect they actually have a very good understanding of information security, but just don’t think yours is worth the bother.
Hey, uh, could I not have my data stolen for FIVE FUCKING SECONDS?!
NSA: “Damn look at all this data we totally don’t already have”
More like, damn why did we spend so much to secretly steal this data if random hackers are getting it too?
Also NSA: Gently caresses fiber splits in NOC
Oopsie poopsie
