Home security provider ADT suffered a data breach that appears to be linked to the notorious hacking group ShinyHunters, which is now trying to extort the company.
ADT disclosed the breach today, a day after ShinyHunters threatened to leak stolen data. “More than 10 million records containing PII (personally identifiable information) and other internal corporate data were stolen. Pay or leak,” the group said in a post. dark web.
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ADT did not say how many users were affected. But a statementthe company said the breach was discovered on Monday, April 20, and involved “limited customer and potential customer data.”
“The investigation confirmed that the information accessed was limited to names, phone numbers and addresses. In a small percentage of cases, dates of birth and the last four digits of Social Security numbers or Tax IDs were entered. Critically, no payment information, including bank accounts or credit cards, was accessed and no customer security systems were impacted or compromised in any way,” the company said.
In response, ADT suspended the intrusion, initiated a forensic investigation with “leading third-party cybersecurity experts,” and notified law enforcement. The company also said it has “directly notified all affected individuals and will offer free of charge identity protection services accordingly.”
It’s unclear how the hackers gained access. But ShinyHunters has been is known using phone calls and impersonation in English, or what is known as voice phishing, to trick victims. This can include claims Manipulate an employee at the target company to become IT customer support and hand over internal access.
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ShinyHunters threatened to leak the stolen data unless ADT paid the ransom by Monday. So there must be affected customers on guard because stolen data can expose them to phishing attacks and identity theft schemes.
ADT experienced two other security events In 2024.
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Michael Kahn
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I have been a journalist for more than 15 years. I started as a school and city reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, covering satellite internet services, cybersecurity, computer hardware, and more. I currently live in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China covering the country’s technology sector.
Since 2020, I’ve covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service, writing more than 600 stories on availability and feature launches, as well as regulatory battles over expanding satellite constellations, battles with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and efforts to expand into mobile satellite-based service. I scoured FCC filings for the latest news and traveled to the far reaches of California to test Starlink’s cell service.
I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. in 2024 and 2025 The FTC forced Avast to pay $16.5 million for secretly collecting consumers’ personal information and selling it to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint disclosure investigation with the motherboard.
I also cover the PC graphics card market. Disadvantages during the pandemic he took me to the camp In front of Best Buy to get the RTX 3000. Now I’m watching how AI-based memory shortages affect the entire consumer electronics market. I’m always eager to learn more, so please leave feedback in the comments and send me tips.
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