Google Fi confirms customer data breach by hackers

Google, the American technology conglomerate, has informed customers who use its Google Fi cell service that some personal data may have been stolen in a recent cyberattack.

According to The Verge, an American technology news website, the cyberattack is linked to a T-Mobile data breach that occurred earlier this month.

Google Fi customers were notified on Monday via email that the cell network’s primary network provider had become aware of suspicious activity in a system containing Google Fi customer data.

Despite the fact that Google Fi is an MVNO that primarily connects to the US Cellular and T-Mobile networks, the company does not specifically identify T-Mobile as its primary service provider in the email.

According to Google, hackers may have gained access to some user data, including phone numbers, SIM card serial numbers, account status, and information on mobile service plans, via the compromised system.

Personal information such as names, email addresses, credit card information, government IDs, passwords, and pin numbers were not stored in the system.

Google reassured customers that there was no need for Fi users to take any further action, and that there was no unauthorised access to Google’s own systems or any systems overseen directly by Google.

According to The Verge, the timing of the announcement, as well as Google Fi’s relationship with T-Mobile, indicate that this breach is directly related to a cyber-attack that impacted 37 million T-Mobile customers earlier this month. It was the eighth T-Mobile hack since 2018.