Hackers got data on 5.5 million ADT customers by phishing, report says

Source: Mashable Tech

Millions of people use security company ADT to protect their home or business, but their cybersecurity may have been compromised in a recent breach attributed to the hacking group ShinyHunters.

Scope of the Breach

• The breach exposed 5.5 million unique email addresses linked to ADT customers, as reported by Have I Been Pwned.
• ADT confirmed that payment information was not compromised, but the leak included customer names, phone numbers, addresses, and in a minority of cases, Social Security and Tax ID numbers.

ADT’s Response

“ADT’s cybersecurity systems detected unauthorized access to a limited set of customer and prospective customer data on April 20,” reads the ADT blog post confirming the breach. “The company’s response protocols activated immediately — terminating the intrusion, launching a forensic investigation with leading third‑party cybersecurity experts, and notifying law enforcement.”

How the Attack Was Executed

• ShinyHunters accessed ADT’s Salesforce environment by compromising an employee’s Okta SSO login credentials.
• The group employed voice phishing (vishing) to obtain the credentials, as detailed by Bleeping Computer.
• Okta has warned about the rise of vishing attacks in a recent blog post, offering tips for protection.

Related Threats and Recent Breaches

ShinyHunters has been linked to several high‑profile incidents, including:

• Panera Bread – another SSO phishing‑based breach.
• Rockstar Games – see the Mashable report.
• Crunchyroll – see the Mashable report.
• Salesforce – see the Mashable report.
• Bumble – see the Mashable report.

Ransomware Risks

In typical ransomware scenarios, attackers threaten to release or sell leaked data on the dark web unless the targeted organization pays a ransom. While no ransom demand has been disclosed for the ADT incident, the possibility remains a concern for affected parties.