"Their security is awful": T-Mobile hacker gives brutally honest interview

New York, New York - A young hacker is calling out a cell phone carrier he illegally hacked, saying, "Their security is awful."

It took the young man about a week to dig up all the available information belonging to 50 million T-Mobile pasts and current customers (stock image).
It took the young man about a week to dig up all the available information belonging to 50 million T-Mobile pasts and current customers (stock image).  © 123RF/ peshkov

A 21-year-old was recently able to hack T-Mobile's servers and abscond with data belonging to over 50 million users, just by using a tool that is publicly available on the internet.

John Binns was raised in Virginia and moved to Turkey three years ago, which is where he was when he infiltrated the major provider.

The hacker spoke directly to The Wall Street Journal through Telegram messages and made his process and motive public – a slap in the face for the tech company.

"Generating noise was one goal," Binns explained in the new interview published on Thursday.

He didn't admit to whether or not he actually sold any data he stole, but the act itself has drawn so much scrutiny that T-Mobile has issued an official apology for its fourth major hack in five years, according to NBC.

CEO Mike Sievert shared his sentiments in the apology on Friday.

"The last two weeks have been humbling for all of us at T-Mobile. To say we are disappointed and frustrated that this happened is an understatement," he wrote.

Binns used the online data breech tool to scan for an open router belonging to the provider – and found one. Before long, he realized he had "access to something big."

His find connected him to a data center in Washington, which led him to 100 more open servers. In about a week, Binns could access data belonging to customers both old and new.

It's not clear if Binns will face charges for the hack. The FBI is curently investigating.

The interview follows a cybersecurity summit held in Washington on Wednesday by President Joe Biden, with leaders of Big Tech presenting strategies to protect against future cyberattacks.

If you are concerned that your data may have been compromised in the latest T-Mobile breach, read our guide on how to secure your account, and learn more about the dangers of "SIM-swapping" unlocked by the latest hack.

Cover photo: 123RF/ peshkov

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