The first reporter on “the scene” was Kevin Poulsen and ex hacker turned journalist. I had read about the case earlier when the story broke that Operation Firewall was turning up the heat. Operation Firewall was a seperate operation by the Secret Service to capture identity theft rings. As they were monitoring certain IRC channels for information they started seeing internal SS documents traded like baseball cards. This did not bode well.
The amount of damage to T-Mobile should be massive as far as reputation and security are concerned. I have a feeling that since the SS was involved and does not want to share in the embarassment that not many will be the wiser. The only people I know for sure that know about the effects of this massive hack are those who were lucky enough to make it to Paris Hilton’s address book. One of the major advertising points for the Sidekick is that all the data is stored at the T-Mobile servers in California. A list, which I have seen with my own two eyes, of every person in her cell phones address book was published to underground sites last week. I have friends who actually bothered calling some of these numbers. I mean who wouldn’t want to talk to Anna Kournikova? Rumor has it her voice mail box filled up fast. Another rumor holds that the daughter of notorious gangster John Gotti, Victoria, was out on a date the night the numbers were released from their elite private circles. Since the mother didn’t want her daughter to be out of touch she refused to cancel the service. Which means she must have answered hundreads of phone calls that night from would be pranksters. I guess in my old age I’ve lost some of my edge because I don’t think I’d have the balls to prank call the daughter of a serial killer.
But these are the troubles of the rich and the famous. What about everyone else? All the information, including notes taken on the devices, were available for hackers who had access to T-Mobile Servers.
This could include credit card information, social security numbers, and addresses. The California notification law SB 1386 is the only reason we know about it. Even so the SS were able to delay the breach for months (maybe a year??) for it’s ongoing investigation. As Kevin Poulsen noted, “The Secret Service played both victim and investigator” for this crime. So my question is this. When California instituted a no smoking indoors or on public property law, states flocked on board. When are other states going to pass simliar SB 1386 laws? Corporation after corporation has had to come to the spot light, tail between it’s legs, and admit to getting hacked. Without this law who knows how many social security numbers would have quietly found their way into the underground. Their owners only finding out that they identity was compromised when they applied for a new mortage or car.
As a side note the pictures of Paris Hilton’s camera were also stored online. This was more frightening then anything else. If I’m taking personal photos with my camera, and let’s just say hers were .. intimate, I really would not like them uploaded and stored anywhere.
[editors note: I am also the editor, this is more like a PS. I don’t know what an enclosure URL is. I also think it amusing that Ms Hilton is the focus of so much attention. I honestly think she loves that her private details were released to the public. The notes from her Sidekick show a woman who is obsessed with scandal and time in the limelight]
[editors note 3/2005: I changed the anna kournakova link to a more “work safe” image search on google.]
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