Vodafone denies mobile records leaked

• Vodafone denies customer details leaked
• But telco resets all passwords
• Unbelievably slack security, says expert

VODAFONE is investigating an alleged security breach but denies customers' personal details are publicly available on the internet.

The mobile phone company has reset all passwords for its web portal, used by employees and dealers.

Details including names, home addresses, driver's licence numbers and credit card details have been available on the web in what has been described as an "unbelievable'' lapse in security, Fairfax newspapers reported.

The report said criminal groups have paid for the private details of some Vodafone customers to blackmail them and other people have obtained logins to check their spouse's communications.

It said the full extent of the privacy breach is unknown, but it is possible that thousands of people have logins that can be passed around and used to gain access to the accounts of about four million Vodafone clients.

A Vodafone spokesman said the company was concerned to hear of the alleged breach.

"Vodafone's customer details are not 'publicly available on the internet','' he said in a statement today.

"Customer information is stored on Vodafone's internal systems and accessed through a secure web portal, accessible to authorised employees and dealers via a secure login and password.

"Any unauthorised access to the portal will be taken very seriously, and would constitute a breach of employment or dealer agreement and possibly a criminal offence.''

The company would investigate the allegations and refer the matter to the Australian Federal Police if appropriate, the statement said.

The spokesman added that all passwords had been reset and a review is being undertaken of the training and systems procedures.

Michael Fraser, head of the Australian Communications Law Centre at the University of Technology, Sydney, told Fairfax it seemed to be a major breach of the company's privacy obligations and "unbelievably slack security''.

news.com.au 9 Jan 2011

Another BLATANT LIE from the telco's when caught with their pants down.

'Security' is almost non existent when it comes to those matters.

If the telco were to admit this then they would be LIABLE for a class action law suite.

The problem lies within Vodafone and not the so called 'hackers', as they would want you and the mass media to believe.

Vodafone Customer care in Egypt:
http://www.businesstodayegypt.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=7824

" and despite our employee turnover within Customer Care, there is still a wide selection of career paths within Vodafone in other departments."

shows that there is a problem within the environment if the cattle are NOT happy.