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US carrier admits it's been hacked two months ago

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By Cosmin Vasile

Published: May 13, 2019, 6:18 PM

Sprint

US carrier admits it's been hacked two months ago

If you're using Sprint-owned virtual mobile network Boost Mobile, then chances are that some of your personal data might have been accessed by hackers. The US carrier recently admitted it's been hacked two months ago, TechCrunch reports.

According to the notification posted by Boost Mobile this week, the data breach happened on March 14 and hackers gained access to an unknown number of customer accounts.

Boost.com experienced unauthorized online account activity in which an unauthorized person accessed your account through your Boost phone number and Boost.com PIN code,” said the notification. “The Boost Mobile fraud team discovered the incident and was able to implement a permanent solution to prevent similar unauthorized account activity.

Before posting the notification on its website, the carrier informed the California attorney general just in case more than 500 customers were affected by the data breach, an important requirement when these security incidents happen.

In a worst case scenario, the data breach might have given hackers access to all 15 million customers that Boost Mobile had back in 2018. Apparently, hackers have used phone numbers and account PINs to break into customers accounts using Boost Mobile's website.

Unfortunately, these codes can be used to modify account settings, which allowed hackers to automate account logins using lists of exposed usernames and passwords (phone numbers and PIN codes in this case). If you're a Boost Mobile customer, you should receive a text with a temporary PIN, if you haven't already.

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Cosmin, a tech journalist with a career spanning over a decade, brought a wealth of experience to PhoneArena. His expertise lies in brands like Samsung and Nokia, and he has a keen interest in innovative technologies. After a brief stint in PR, Cosmin returned to tech journalism in 2016, committed to delivering clear and objective news. When he's not writing or appearing as a guest on TV and radio shows, Cosmin enjoys playing RPGs, watching Netflix, and nurturing his passion for history and travel.