On Tue, 13 Sep 2005 21:57:38 -0700
"Trevor G. Hammonds" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
VoIP provider spills customer emails
Data leak at Packet8 turns customers into phishing
targets
----------------------------------------------------------
Tom Sanders in California, vnunet.com 13 Sep 2005
----------------------------------------------------------
Internet telephony provider Packet8 has accidentally
disclosed the email
addresses of 21,000 of its subscribers.
Packet8 sells internet telephony services to consumers
and businesses in
North America, allowing them to place telephone calls to
regular phone
numbers at a discounted rate. The VoIP provider has more
than 73,000
subscribers.
Joan Citelli, director of corporate communications at
Packet8, told
vnunet.com that the data leak occurred when an employee
accidentally
attached a spreadsheet containing the email addresses to
the monthly Packet8
email newsletter sent last Thursday.
The file contained no data other than the email
addresses of subscribers of
the opt-in newsletter.
Packet8 has instituted additional checks to prevent
future security lapses.
"It was a one-time fluke. I do not expect it to happen
again," said Citelli.
The firm sent an email to customers on Friday
apologising for the data
disclosure.
Andrew Lockhart, director of product marketing at email
security vendor
Postini, said that Packet8 customers are likely to
become the target for
phishing attacks if criminals get hold of the list.
"This just makes it easier for the spammers and
phishers," he told
vnunet.com.
Knowing that the addresses on the list are all Packet8
customers, phishers
could send emails that appear to come from Packet8.
The email could then fool them into disclosing
confidential information by
asking them to re-enter credit card information or
log-in name and password.
"The fact that this list is identifiable as being of
customers of the
service makes it potentially more dangerous," said
Lockhart.
The mishap could have easily been prevented, he added,
as there are numerous
tools available that scan outgoing email messages for
unwanted content and
attachments.
Permalink to this story
www.vnunet.com/2142205
Yeah right... One time my A$$!!! Here is a copy of a post
from BroadBand Reports in a thread about this. Apparently
it happened back in 2003 also??
http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14330593
"Dear Packet8 subscriber,
On Friday, January 3 [2003], our marketing team
erroneously attached a partial list of Packet8
subscribers' e-mail addresses to a billing notice that was
sent to your e-mail address. We apologize for this
accidental disclosure and assure you that it will not
happen again. 8x8 respects your privacy and values our
customer relationships. The complete text of the Packet8
privacy policy can be found at
www.packet8.net/about/privacy.asp for your reference.
As we continue to improve the Packet8 service and its
offerings, we would appreciate any feedback you may wish
to provide. You can reach me on Packet8 at 1-408-404-3033
or at the e-mail address above.
-Bryan Martin
President & CEO, 8x8, Inc."
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