IT Security Stories to Watch: Did Hackers Attack Vodafone?

Vodafone (VOD) said 1,827 customers recently had their accounts illegally accessed by criminals. 

And as a result, Vodafone tops this week’s list of IT security newsmakers to watch, followed by British Gas, First National Bank of Omaha and  Skycure.

What can managed service providers (MSPs) and their customers learn from these IT security newsmakers? Check out this week’s edition of IT security stories to watch to find out:

1. Vodafone releases details about cyber attack

Vodafone said it was subject to an attempt to access customers’ account details last week.

However, the British telecommunications company said its systems were not breached during the incident. 

“Our investigation and mitigating actions have meant that only a handful of customers have been subject to any attempts to use this data for fraudulent activity on their Vodafone accounts,” Vodafone said in a prepared statement. “No credit or debit card numbers or details were obtained. The information obtained by the criminals cannot be used directly to access customers’ bank accounts.”

2. British Gas customer logins compromised

British Gas has warned about 2,200 customers that their login information may have been exposed. 

BBC News reported that no bank account or payment information was compromised, but the login details could be used to view past customer invoices.

British Gas noted that the affected accounts have been deactivated. 

3. First National Bank reissues new debit cards

First National Bank has reissued new debit cards to customers in seven states due to the risk that their cards may have been previously compromised in a nationwide breach.

A First National Bank spokesperson told the Omaha World-Herald that the company itself was not breached, but the bank’s connection to a nationwide business that suffered a data breach led it to reissue new debit cards.

“We recently issued new debit cards across our seven-state service area to customers whose cards may have been compromised through a nationwide breach that has not yet been announced,” the spokesperson said.

4. Skycure: Nearly 2 percent of all smartphones compromised

Mobile threat defense solution provider Skycure recently found that nearly 2 percent of all smartphones are already compromised or undergoing an attack.

Skycure also identified user behavior as the leading cause behind “risky devices.” 

In addition, Skycure classified 41 percent of smartphones with at least a medium-risk score.

What are your thoughts on this week’s IT security stories to watch? Share your thoughts about this story in the Comments section below, via Twitter @dkobialka or email me at [email protected].