UScellular Data Breach Billing System Hack | efani Partner TheNFG.com

UScellular exposes customer personal data and billing info in a second data breach that hit the fourth largest Carrier in 2021. Hackers successfully gained access to the carrier’s customer data and CRM software in January and again in December 2021.UScellular, the mobile carrier, said in data breach notification letters sent to 405 impacted individuals that the attackers also ported some of the affected customers’ numbers using personal information stolen in the incident. I bet these customers wish their carrier protected their data.Following the December breach, the threat actors were also able to successfully port some UScellular customers’ numbers which would allow them to steal two-factor authentication codes sent via text messages and, potentially, hijack the victims’ online accounts. This is a classic SIM Swap attack or SIM jacking event which puts customers at major risk of identity and other fraud.”On December 13, 2021, UScellular detected a data security incident in ‘which unauthorized individuals illegally accessed our billing system and gained access to wireless customer accounts that contain personal information,” the carrier explained.UScellular also reset the impacted customers’ security questions, answers, and personal identification numbers (PIN) linked to their accounts, but that does little after the fact now that the data is in the possession of the hackers and scammers.Some people are of the belief that their Social Security Number (SSN) is the most valuable number. In reality, your mobile phone number is even more valuable to hackers and scammers.Take the recent data breaches as an example. Scammers can use the breach data to SIM Swap your number and become you. Once the scammer and hackers have control of your number it is a matter of minutes to hours before they reak havoc on your entire life These scammers and hackers, now that they control your number, can gain access and steal all your bank accounts, crypto, social media, and other accounts. We take for granted how much our mobile controls in our lives.

It is time you protect yourself today and get SAFE secured.