iPad Hackers Show up AT T Security

AT&T Technology

Two men hack into an AT&T computer and get personal info on thousands of iPad users. From Diane Sawyer to former White House Chief of staff Rham Emanuel, hackers got the personal e-mail addresses from a whos who including New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. For hackers, breaking into a computer is a lot like climbing Mount Everest. Evans says its hard to profit without getting caught.

The FBI seized instant messages between Spitler and Auernheimer discussing everything from selling the list for spam, to manipulating AT&T stock. The hallmark of this criminal hacker subculture is malicious one-upmanship. And for hackers, Apple is a big prize because of its relatively secure operation system.

Two suspects have been charged with federal crimes for allegedly hacking AT&T’s website last year to obtain the personal data of more than 100,000 iPad owners. Andrew Auernheimer, 25, of Fayetteville, Arkansas, was charged in Arkansas for the same crimes.

Last summer the two allegedly contacted Gawker to report that a hole in AT&T’s website allowed anyone to access data on iPad owners, including government and military officials, corporate CEOs and media executives who purchased iPads. The personal data included e-mail addresses and ICC-IDs – a unique identifier that’s used to authenticate the SIM card in a customer’s iPad to AT&T’s network.

“An information leak on AT&Ts network allows severe privacy violations to iPad 3G users,” Auernheimer, who goes by the hacking moniker Weev, wrote to one News Corp. director. “Your iPads unique network identifier was pulled straight out of AT&Ts database.... 

Both men are in the custody of federal authorities. Under US criminal procedures, prosecutors have 30 days to charge the men under a grand jury indictment unless the defendants agree to an extension. Spitler, 26, pleaded not guilty on Tuesday in federal court in Newark, New Jersey. One member using the handle Nstyr wanted to “sell if [sic] for thousands to the biggest spammers.” 

By. AT&T Technology