AT&T Security Breach Hits iPad Owners
In the latest security sideshow for Apple, a breach in an AT&T website exposed iPad owners, including "dozens of CEOs, military officials, and top politicians," according to the gossip site Gawker.
Earlier this spring, an Apple employee left a prototype of a developmental iPhone in a Silicon Valley bar which was then sold to the website Gizmodo (which is owned by Gawker). That set off a chain of events culminating in Apple CEO Steve Jobs personally interceding to demand the return of the lost unit.
This time around, Apple's latest PR headache is related to a security lapse that was in AT&T's website. The hacking group Goatse Security turned over the list of addresses it was able to obtain to Gawker. In a statement, AT&T said it was tipped off to the "potential exposure" of user information by a customer. "The only information that can be derived from the ICC IDS is the e-mail address attached to that device," the company said. AT&T added that it has since essentially turned off the feature that provided the e-mail addresses as it continues to investigate what happened. For AT&T, the breach likely will invite more criticism. As the exclusive wireless carrier for the iPad and the iPhone in the United States, AT&T has faced ongoing criticism from iPhone users - especially on the coasts - about the performance of its network.Gawker claims that 114,000 user accounts have been compromised. It said that a call to Rahm Emanuel's office at the White House was not returned.
Since its April debut, the iPad has sold more than 2 million units worldwide.
Also See:
CNET: AT&T Web site Exposes Data of 114,000 iPad Users
Taylor Buley: AT&T's iPad Hackers 'Ignored' By Reuters, Other Mainstream Press
Goatse analyst explains AT&T data breach