AT&T Inc said on Wednesday some users of Apple’s iPad have had personal information exposed via a network security flaw, two months after the tablet computer was launched and smashed sales expectations.
The breach, first reported by the Web site Gawker, led to the exposure only of e-mail addresses, AT&T said in a statement. The wireless operator has exclusive US rights to carry the iPad and the popular iPhone.
SORRY
The company apologized and said it would inform any customers who had been affected by the security breach. AT&T said it learned of the problem on Monday and has since corrected the flaw.
“This issue was escalated to the highest levels of the company and was corrected by Tuesday; and we have essentially turned off the feature that provided the e-mail addresses,” spokesman Mark Siegel said in an e-mail statement.
Apple did not respond to a request for comment.
The iPad, launched in April, has already sold more than 2 million units worldwide. Buzz around the device — which alongside the iPhone will form a pivotal part of the company’s international growth strategy — helped propel Apple past Microsoft last month to become the world’s most valuable technology stock.
On Wednesday, Gawker said it was informed of the flaw and given a list of the e-mail addresses by a group of hackers.
Its report said more than 100,000 iPad user accounts may have been compromised. Gawker reported that it obtained a list of e-mail addresses that included celebrities, politicians and chief executives.
CRITICISM
AT&T is now the sole wireless carrier for the iPad and the iPhone in the US, but it continues to draw harsh criticism from iPhone users over the quality of its network, and the security breach acknowledged on Wednesday may add fuel to that fire.
The carrier said the flaw led to exposure of iPads’ integrated circuit card IDs, which identify SIM cards in mobile devices.
“The only information that can be derived from the ICC IDS is the e-mail address attached to that device,” AT&T said in its statement.
The company said it would continue to investigate the matter. AT&T said the group who discovered the flaw did not inform the company, which was alerted to the problem by an unidentified business customer.
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