Xfinity, the telecommunications giant owned by Comcast, disclosed a significant security breach. The incident involved unauthorized access to customers' data by hackers who exploited a weakness in the company's software.
NEW YORK - Xfinity, a company owned by Comcast, faced a big security issue this week. Hackers were able to see customers' details. They did this by using a weakness in the software from Citrix, which Xfinity uses.
On a Monday, Xfinity told its customers that hackers got into their systems without permission. This happened between October 16 and 19. Xfinity noticed something wrong on October 25 and spent the next few months figuring out what happened. They found out that the hackers likely took some information.
By December 6, Xfinity confirmed that the hackers had usernames and passwords (but these were scrambled for safety). For some people, the hackers also got the last four numbers of their Social Security, answers to security questions, birthdates, and how to contact them.
This breach is a serious concern for customer privacy. Xfinity is now trying to fix these issues and ensure their customers' information is safe.
Still investigating the recent security breach, Xfinity has shared some good news. They told The Associated Press on Tuesday that so far, they haven't found any signs of customer data being shared publicly or used to harm customers. This comes as a relief after the alarming news that hackers accessed their systems.
Even though no data leaks have been found, Xfinity isn't taking any chances. They're asking all their customers to change their passwords as a safety step. Plus, they're strongly suggesting that everyone should use two-factor or multifactor authentication. This means when you log in, you'll need your password and another way to prove it's you, like a code sent to your phone. It's an extra step for safety to make sure customer accounts are more secure.
Xfinity is committed to keeping its customers' information safe and is taking these steps to protect everyone after the breach.
A recent report filed with Maine's attorney general shows that a massive 35.9 million people might have been affected by the Xfinity data breach. Xfinity didn't give an exact number on Tuesday, but they did say that the figure from the filing is about user IDs.
Comcast, the big company that owns Xfinity and is based in Philadelphia, has over 32 million broadband customers. They shared this in their latest earnings report.
Citrix, the company that made the software with the security issue, works with thousands of businesses worldwide. This problem in their software, "Citrix Bleed," has also been linked to other hacks, including the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China in New York and a part of Boeing.
There's a new rule from the Securities Exchange Commission. Starting Monday, public companies like Comcast must tell about any cyber attacks that could affect their money within four days of finding out it's a big deal. As of Tuesday, Comcast hadn't filed anything with the SEC about this data breach, and they haven't talked about it much yet.
More information is available on the Xfinity website at www.xfinity.com/dataincident.
FAQs 1. What happened in the Xfinity data breach?
Hackers gained unauthorized access to Xfinity customers' personal information by exploiting a software vulnerability.
2. What is Xfinity doing to protect customers after the breach?
Xfinity is asking customers to reset their passwords and strongly recommends using two-factor or multifactor authentication for added security.
3. How many people were affected by the Xfinity data breach?
A report filed with Maine's attorney general suggests that nearly 35.9 million people might have been affected.
4. How did Xfinity discover the data breach?
Xfinity noticed suspicious activity on their systems on October 25, which led them to investigate and uncover the data breach.
5. What are two-factor and multifactor authentication, and how do they help?
Two-factor or multifactor authentication adds extra security layers, such as a code sent to your phone, in addition to your password, making unauthorized access more difficult.
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