John Paul M. Joaquin Tech 02.01.2023 06:Feb AM EST

Google Fi’s Data Has Been Compromised — Here’s What Hackers Got Away With

Google Fi customers should stay alert for anything unusual around them for some time.

Google's cell network provider recently confirmed that hackers were able to breach its online security and make off millions of customer information, per Engadget.

The attack is likely related to the recent data breach T-Mobile reported, which led to the theft of the information of 37 million prepaid and postpaid customer accounts.

Google Fi Data Breach Details

Google mentioned in its email to Google Fi customers that its primary network provider for Google Fi detected suspicious activity relating to a third-party system containing a "limited amount" of Google Fi customer data. According to Tech Crunch's report, the hackers responsible for the suspicious activity were able to acquire the phone numbers, account status, and SIM card serial numbers of millions of Google Fi customers.

The hackers also acquired information regarding the details of customers' mobile service plans, including whether they are availing of unlimited SMS or international roaming.

Thankfully, Google said that the hackers didn't take customers' personal information or payment card data, passwords, PINS, or the contents of their text messages or calls. However, while Google said in its email that customers are not required to take any action regarding their account or phone, at least one Google Fi customer reported that their phone number had been briefly "hijacked."

The Google Fi customer shared their experience of the "hijack" incident on Reddit. According to the customer's Reddit post, they received unauthorized access and password reset notifications from online accounts via email.

These password reset requests include their Outlook email address, crypto wallet account, and Authy, a two-factor authenticator. Unfortunately, the hacker responsible for the password reset was able to change the customer's Outlook and crypto wallet account.

The customer then recorded the logs and sent them to 9to5Google, showing that the hacker had indeed gained access to their Outlook and crypto wallet accounts by hijacking their phone number and using the number to get SMS codes to reset their passwords.

The customer ultimately regained access to their Outlook, crypto wallet, and phone number after turning network access on their iPhone off and back on, though it is unclear if doing so ended the hacker's access to their phone number or if it was a mere coincidence.

T-Mobile Data Breach Connection

The timing of the data breach on Google Fi makes it likely that this attack is connected to the data breach that occurred in mid-January, wherein hackers compromised 37 million prepaid and postpaid customer accounts.

T-Mobile detected the data breach on Jan. 5, but the hacker had been stealing user data as early as Nove. 25, 2022. Google didn't mention any similar information in their email to its customers, though it is working with Google Fi's network provider to shore up its online security to secure the data on that third-party system and notify everyone potentially impacted.

Google has yet to provide an exact or estimated amount of how many of its customers are compromised.