Massive Hack Hits Verizon Business Unit

If you're a Verizon business customer, beware: The contact information for 1.5 million Verizon Enterprise customers has been stolen, according to cybersecurity blogger Brian Krebs. Sources tell KrebsOnSecurity that "a prominent member of a closely guarded underground cybercrime forum" offered all 1.5 million records for sale this week for $100,000, or chunks of 100,000 records for $10,000 a pop. Verizon acknowledged to KrebsOnSecurity that a security vulnerability in its site allowed hackers to grab customer information, and says it's working to alert those who were affected. Ironically, Verizon Enterprise Solutions helps companies respond to data breaches.

"Even if it is limited to the contact data for technical managers at companies that use Verizon Enterprise Solutions"—99% of Fortune 500 companies reportedly do so—"it's a fair bet that if cyber thieves buy all or some of the Verizon Enterprise customer database, some of those customers may be easy marks for phishing and other targeted attacks," Krebs warns. The underground seller is also offering to sell information about Verizon's security flaws. As Chris Mills points out on Gizmodo, "There’s no cause for concern if you’re a Verizon Wireless consumer," but this is "embarrassing" considering it happened to a wing of Verizon that offers cybersecurity services. (More Verizon stories.)