Personal Data Of 60,000 Telstra Customers Exposed To Web

Unencrypted data on some 60,000 customers of Telstra -- one of Australia's largest telecommunications carriers -- has been found easily accessible on the Web.

According to news reports, a user found the database after doing a Web search for a Telstra customer support phone number.

The page has been disabled, but users who saw the file said they were able to find Telstra's customer database based on the customer's last name, account number, sales force ID, or reference number, according to the reports.

The file contained information on what broadband plan the users are on, what other Telstra services they're using, and notes on customers' accounts, including usernames and passwords, the reports said. It also contained data about technician visits, SMS messages sent to private mobile numbers, and credit check details.

"We apologize to customers who may have been impacted by this issue," Telstra said in a statement. "Telstra takes its customers privacy seriously. The site has been disabled and a full investigation is underway. Telstra will brief the Privacy Commissioner."

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