Hacker behind attack on American branch T-Mobile: ‘Security is bad’ – Computer – News

The hacker who attacked the US branch of T-Mobile and stole personal data of 48.7 million people, told the Wall Street Journal that he gained access to the data through an unsecured router. “The security is bad,” it sounds.

The 21-year-old hacker, who was hiding behind the pseudonym John Binns, told Wall Street Journal reporters via Telegram that he was behind the attack was on the American branch of T-Mobile where the data of 48.7 million Americans was stolen. The data includes first and last names, dates of birth, social security numbers and driver’s license or ID card information.

Binns said he searched T-Mobile’s Internet addresses for vulnerabilities. He said he did this with a ‘simple tool’ that is available to the general public. As a result, he discovered an unsecured company router connected to the net and used it to access the operator’s data center in northwestern Washington state. He had stolen credentials from this center, and after hacking himself in, the man was able to reach more than 100 servers. It then took a week to sift through those servers. At the time, Binns found the personal data of 48.7 million Americans, including current, former or potential customers of the American telecom operator.

On August 4, the man is said to have stolen the data. On August 13, the American security company Unit221B warned that T-Mobile consumer data was being offered for sale on the internet, for six bitcoins. That prompted the American operator to open an investigation into a potential breach in their systems. T-Mobile confirmed a few days later that millions of its customers’ data had been stolen. The vulnerability was according to spokespersons of the company in the meantime.

Whether the hacker actually sold the data, and whether he was paid for it, he did not want to say to the journalists of the Wall Street Journal. It is also unclear whether he worked alone, although he spoke of a ‘cooperation’ with others to obtain certain login details, according to the newspaper. The hacker wanted to attract attention with the hack. “Creating a fuss was a goal,” he told the Wall Street Journal. “I panicked because I suddenly had access to something big. T-Mobile’s security is bad,” he said.