For any of those using Koodo cell phones your info is on the dark web as we speak
Telus-owned Koodo Mobile has suffered a data breach after their systems were hacked and customer data was stolen by the attackers.
According to a data breach notification email from Koodo Mobile their systems were hacked on February 13th, 2020, and an unauthorized person stole customer data.
"What happened: On February 13, 2020, an unauthorized third party using compromised credentials accessed our systems and copied data.
This information can be used by scammers to port Koodo Mobile numbers to attacker's devices to receive 2-factor authentication codes, which could allow attackers to gain access to email and bank accounts.
To prevent this, Koodo has enabled the 'Port Protection' feature on the affected accounts, which prevents attackers from porting a Koodo Mobile number to another carrier unless the account holder first calls and requests it to be done.
Koodo customer data being sold online
The email goes on to say that Koodo Mobile has found evidence that the stolen customer information is being sold online, but feels their Port Protection feature will protect their customer's mobile number from being used for fraudulent purposes.
"We have found evidence that the unauthorized third party is offering the information for sale on the dark web. With port protection in place, we do not believe that your information could be used for any fraudulent purposes. Nevertheless, we have reported this incident to Law Enforcement and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada and we are working closely with them on this matter," the Koodo notification warned.
They then contradict themselves later in the notification by saying that affected users should not use their mobile number for two-factor authentication due to this data breach.
"We also recommend that you not register your mobile telephone number on online accounts. If you have done so, you may want to remove it and use an alternative method to receive One Time Passcodes or 2 Factor Authentication codes," the email continues.
Raveed Laeb of cybersecurity intelligence firm, KELA has said that Koodo accounts are being sold on various dark web web sites.
"A different market - one that specializes in automated selling of access to compromised accounts - currently offers over 21,000 Koodo accounts."
“Dear xxxxx,
We recently detected a security incident impacting your account information.
What happened:
On February 13, 2020, an unauthorized third party using compromised credentials accessed our systems and copied data.
What we are doing:
We acted quickly to prevent further unauthorized access. Some customers could have been at risk of unauthorized number porting, where a fraudster could use the compromised information to gain control of a customer’s phone number by moving it to another carrier. This would mean that the fraudster would receive your calls and texts. To prevent this, we have applied port protection on your account. Port protection is a feature that prevents the porting of your number to another carrier unless you call us first. If you’d like to have this feature removed, please contact us.
We have found evidence that the unauthorized third party is offering the information for sale on the dark web. With port protection in place, we do not believe that your information could be used for any fraudulent purposes. Nevertheless, we have reported this incident to Law Enforcement and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada and we are working closely with them on this matter.
What you can do:
As always, be diligent in monitoring your online accounts and email for any suspicious activity. Ensure that you do not reuse the same login credentials across different accounts, and use passwords that are difficult to guess. We also recommend that you not register your mobile telephone number on online accounts. If you have done so, you may want to remove it and use an alternative method to receive One Time Passcodes or 2 Factor Authentication codes.
If you have any questions, please contact us at 1 866 995 6636, Monday - Sunday, 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. ET.
At Koodo, we believe customer privacy is of the utmost importance. We are taking this matter very seriously. We remain committed to protecting your privacy. We sincerely regret any inconvenience or concern this may cause and look forward to continuing to serve you in the future.”
Telus-owned Koodo Mobile has suffered a data breach after their systems were hacked and customer data was stolen by the attackers.
According to a data breach notification email from Koodo Mobile their systems were hacked on February 13th, 2020, and an unauthorized person stole customer data.
"What happened: On February 13, 2020, an unauthorized third party using compromised credentials accessed our systems and copied data.
This information can be used by scammers to port Koodo Mobile numbers to attacker's devices to receive 2-factor authentication codes, which could allow attackers to gain access to email and bank accounts.
To prevent this, Koodo has enabled the 'Port Protection' feature on the affected accounts, which prevents attackers from porting a Koodo Mobile number to another carrier unless the account holder first calls and requests it to be done.
Koodo customer data being sold online
The email goes on to say that Koodo Mobile has found evidence that the stolen customer information is being sold online, but feels their Port Protection feature will protect their customer's mobile number from being used for fraudulent purposes.
"We have found evidence that the unauthorized third party is offering the information for sale on the dark web. With port protection in place, we do not believe that your information could be used for any fraudulent purposes. Nevertheless, we have reported this incident to Law Enforcement and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada and we are working closely with them on this matter," the Koodo notification warned.
They then contradict themselves later in the notification by saying that affected users should not use their mobile number for two-factor authentication due to this data breach.
"We also recommend that you not register your mobile telephone number on online accounts. If you have done so, you may want to remove it and use an alternative method to receive One Time Passcodes or 2 Factor Authentication codes," the email continues.
Raveed Laeb of cybersecurity intelligence firm, KELA has said that Koodo accounts are being sold on various dark web web sites.
"A different market - one that specializes in automated selling of access to compromised accounts - currently offers over 21,000 Koodo accounts."
“Dear xxxxx,
We recently detected a security incident impacting your account information.
What happened:
On February 13, 2020, an unauthorized third party using compromised credentials accessed our systems and copied data.
What we are doing:
We acted quickly to prevent further unauthorized access. Some customers could have been at risk of unauthorized number porting, where a fraudster could use the compromised information to gain control of a customer’s phone number by moving it to another carrier. This would mean that the fraudster would receive your calls and texts. To prevent this, we have applied port protection on your account. Port protection is a feature that prevents the porting of your number to another carrier unless you call us first. If you’d like to have this feature removed, please contact us.
We have found evidence that the unauthorized third party is offering the information for sale on the dark web. With port protection in place, we do not believe that your information could be used for any fraudulent purposes. Nevertheless, we have reported this incident to Law Enforcement and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada and we are working closely with them on this matter.
What you can do:
As always, be diligent in monitoring your online accounts and email for any suspicious activity. Ensure that you do not reuse the same login credentials across different accounts, and use passwords that are difficult to guess. We also recommend that you not register your mobile telephone number on online accounts. If you have done so, you may want to remove it and use an alternative method to receive One Time Passcodes or 2 Factor Authentication codes.
If you have any questions, please contact us at 1 866 995 6636, Monday - Sunday, 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. ET.
At Koodo, we believe customer privacy is of the utmost importance. We are taking this matter very seriously. We remain committed to protecting your privacy. We sincerely regret any inconvenience or concern this may cause and look forward to continuing to serve you in the future.”
