Hackers Steal 15m T-Mobile Customers Data in Experian Breach

John Legere, CEO of T-Mobile US
John Legere, CEO of T-Mobile US

15m T-Mobile customers are at risk of having their sensitive personal data accessed following a massive security breach at Experian, the worlds largest consumer credit monitoring firm, which exposed those who had applied for service with T-Mobile US.

Experian discovered the theft of the data in mid-September, but the breach is only just coming to light. Anyone who applied for a T-Mobile subscription in the US in the past two years is potentially at risk.

The stolen data includes names, addresses, birth dates, Social Security numbers, drivers license numbers and even passport numbers, placing victims at risk of identity theft and various other forms of fraud.

T-Mobile is working closely with Experian to take protective steps for affected consumers, and the credit monitoring company has promised it will take aggressive measures to improve the security and protection on its servers in the future.

“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,” said John Legere, CEO of T-Mobile. “I take our customer and prospective customer privacy very seriously. This is no small issue for us.”

The hack is the second massive breach Experian has suffered in recent memory. In 2012, an attack on an Experian subsidiary that had been compromised before the firm even acquired it exposed the Social Security numbers of 200m Americans.

“Data breaches are on the rise since they are lucrative and relatively low risk,” said Mike Spykerman, vice president of OPSWAT, a digital security agency. “The T-Mobile breach highlights the fact that attackers are now aiming for personal data instead of credit card information since identity theft brings in higher rewards.”