ADT data breach leaks customers’ location and email addresses — here’s what happened

Only a small portion of the customer base was affected, apparently.
By Alex Perry  on 
ADT sign in yard
Some ADT customers may have had their information posted online. Credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Some customers of ADT security equipment may have had personal information leaked onto the internet.

The home security giant acknowledged as much this week in an 8-K filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), per BleepingComputer. Hackers apparently got into ADT's systems and stole limited customer information to post on a hacking forum.

"After becoming aware of the incident, the ompany promptly took steps to shut down the unauthorized access and launched an investigation, partnering with leading third-party cybersecurity industry experts," ADT's 8-K filing said.

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According to ADT, the information that was leaked was limited to email addresses, phone numbers, and postal addresses. Without giving any hard numbers, ADT claimed that only a small percentage of its customers were affected by this hack.

BleepingComputer noted that data apparently stolen from ADT was posted on a hacking forum at the end of July. That data allegedly included customer user IDs and what products they had purchased from ADT. Companies are required to notify affected customers after data breaches in the U.S. and elsewhere, so if you were affected, you may hear from ADT soon, if you haven't already.

Topics Cybersecurity


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