There’s a new data breach hitting the headlines and this time it affects customers of mobile phone company T Mobile.
Members of staff at the mobile giant have apparently been passing on millions of customer records to third party brokers without the knowledge of T Mobile. These brokers can then sell on the info to other phone companies.
Mr Graham, who was recently appointed to his role as watchdog responsible for safeguarding personal information said it was the biggest breach of its kind and that his office was preparing to prosecute.
When the news first broke, Mr Graham wouldn’t divulge the name of the phone company involved as it could jeopardise criminal proceedings.
Understandably, given the serious nature of the breach, the other major players in the mobile phone industry such as Orange, O2, Vodafone and Virgin quickly came out and said it wasn’t their companies being investigated.
T Mobile finally confirmed that they had reported suspicions that their data was being traded unlawfully. Investigators then obtained search warrants to enter the premises and interviewed staff.
A spokesman for T-Mobile said the sale of the data had been “deeply regrettable” and also explained that they had been asked to keep it quiet. “T-Mobile takes the protection of customer information seriously” he said.
“When it became apparent that contract renewal information was being passed on to third parties without our knowledge, we alerted the Information Commissioner’s Office” said the spokesman.
Information on customers contact details, their current and past contracts, their contract expiry dates and so on can prove priceless for competitors if they can get their hands on it, they can then jump in and try to nab new customers as their contracts expire.
“Many people will have wondered why and how they are being contacted by someone they do not know just before their existing phone contract is about to expire” said Mr Graham.
“We are considering the evidence with a view to prosecuting those responsible and I am keen to go much further and close down the entire unlawful industry in personal data.
“But, we will only be able to do this if blaggers and others who trade in personal data face the threat of a prison sentence.
“The existing paltry fines… are simply not enough to deter people from engaging in this lucrative criminal activity. The threat of jail, not fines, will prove a stronger deterrent” says Mr Graham.
