ADT, a security company that provides electronic security, fire protection and other alarm monitoring services for residential and commercial properties, was hacked. Attackers obtained limited customer information, including email addresses, phone numbers and zip codes. The company says it has no reason to believe the hackers compromised home security systems or confidential information. However, the breach raises serious questions about data security.
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Technician installing outdoor security cameras (ADT) (Kurt “Cyberguy” Knutson)
What you need to know about the ADT hack
in SEC filing dated August 3ADT confirmed that a “cybersecurity incident” occurred in which hackers accessed “certain databases containing ADT customer order information.” The company said that despite taking immediate action after discovering the incident, the hackers were successful in stealing “limited customer information, including email addresses, phone numbers and zip codes.”
The security company, which has 6 million customers as of June 2024, offers products across the U.S. ADT did not disclose how many customers were affected by the hack, and language in the SEC filing described the incident as very minor, a trend seen in the past where companies initially downplayed incidents and later revealed the exact damage.
For example, insurance giant Prudential initially reported that only 36,545 users were affected, but later revised its breach notice to say that 2.5 million people were affected by the February incident.
ADT Security Systems (ADT) (Kurt “Cyberguy” Knutson)
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Is your home security system at risk?
ADT clarified in its SEC filing that it doesn’t believe customers’ home security systems or other information, such as credit card or banking information, were affected, but the company didn’t say how it reached that conclusion. The disclosure came after a seller claimed on a cybercrime forum that more than 30,000 ADT customer records had been stolen.
When reached for comment on this article, a company spokesperson provided the following statement:
“ADT has determined that an unauthorized individual accessed certain ADT customer information. We took immediate action, implementing cybersecurity protocols, increasing our level of vigilance and initiating a forensic investigation of our systems. We can confirm that no of our customers’ home security systems were compromised and no sensitive personal information, credit card data or banking information was accessed.”
“The privacy and security of our customers is our top priority and we have taken several steps to keep their information safe, including immediately activating rigorous cybersecurity protocols.
“Our dedicated support team is standing by at (866) 437-9016 to assist you and answer any questions you may have.”
Outdoor Security Camera (Kurt “Cyberguy” Knutson)
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4 ways to protect yourself and your home after an ADT hack
The ADT hack is a cause for concern, and if you’re a customer, you should consider taking the following steps to protect your privacy and security:
1) Choose a reliable home security system: ADT is one of the largest home security companies in the United States, but despite the company’s assurances that its home security systems have not been compromised, recent leaks of customer information have highlighted potential vulnerabilities. There are many options on the market to consider, whether you want a professionally installed system or a do-it-yourself system. Check out my guide for help. Best Home Security SystemsI’ve listed four of my favorite options: You might also want to find out if you can get a discount on your home insurance for having strong security protection in place.
2) Invest in removal services: The ADT hack exposed some customer information that could be used by hackers, including addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers. ADT confirmed that no credit card or banking information was leaked, but the exposed data could be used for phishing and other malicious activities. You can invest in a removal service to remove this data from the web. No service can promise to remove all data from the Internet, but if you want to continually monitor and automate the process of removing information from hundreds of sites over a long period of time, a removal service can be useful. Check out my recommended data deletion services here.
3) Be careful with mailbox communication: Bad actors may also try to commit fraud through the mail. Data leaks give them access to your address. They may impersonate people or brands you know and use themes that require urgent action, such as delivery delays, account suspensions, and security alerts.
4) Beware of phishing scams: Be wary of emails, phone calls, and messages from unknown sources asking for personal information. Don’t click on suspicious links or provide sensitive information unless you can verify the legitimacy of the request.
The best way to protect yourself from clicking on malicious links that could install malware that could access your personal information is to install antivirus protection on all your devices, which will also warn you about phishing emails and ransomware scams. We’ve handpicked the winners of the best antivirus protection of 2024 for Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices.
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Important points about the cart
While ADT maintains that its home security systems are secure, the fact that hackers obtained personal information, including email and address, is a wake-up call. It’s a reminder that even the companies we trust to protect our homes can be at risk of cyberattacks. While we wait for more details, it’s important to stay vigilant and keep an eye on how ADT handles the situation. In today’s connected world, it’s important to trust your security provider, but it’s clear that we also need to remain vigilant.
After learning about this breach, how do you feel about the security of your personal information with companies like ADT? Contact us below. Cyberguy.com/Contact Us.
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