TalkTalk Cyber attack

(24-10-2015 15:18 )munch1917 Wrote:  Can't say I'm that concerned just yet, I'll start worrying when I feel I have reason to. If my bank details leak out, I will be covered for any fraudulent losses, and I generally ignore and block anyone phoning me that I don't know, and ignore spam emails, so really no point losing sleep just yet.
If I feel the need to jump ship (which is quite possible), and am able to given that I just recently started a new 18month contract, I'd be inclined to try Plusnet (I'm stuck with copper cables, full fibre to the premises like Virgin isn't really an option for me at the moment). I'm no fan of BT after they screwed me over several years back, and although Plusnet is part of BT, it's also run separately. It benefits from having access to the BT infrastructure, but has UK call centres, and generally gets a far better customer support rating than the likes of BT.

What does make me laugh is the way the issue of encryption is being reported. Coming not long after the Snowdon revelations about the NSA trying to enforce backdoors in encryption protocols and software, now there is incredulity that information here may not have been encrypted. So what do we want, proper secure encryption that really protects our data, or weak, exploitable encryption with 'secret' backdoors, supposedly to 'protect us from terrorism'.
If it turns out that the data was un-encrypted, or at best weakly protected, as has been the case with some other recent hacks, I do wonder if TT may fall foul of the Data Commissioner for failing to adequately protect customer data. Being hacked seems to be a fact of life for big corporations these days, and allegedly happens far more than we are aware of, but leaving your customer data readily accessible to those hackers is pretty unforgivable.

I would say its criminally negligent if its not been encrypted

I would have thought that the data breach concerns would be enough for someone to leave Talk Talk even if they are still in a contract.

(24-10-2015 16:01 )gunnar Wrote:  I would have thought that the data breach concerns would be enough for someone to leave Talk Talk even if they are still in a contract.

Of course you can leave, whenever you want, but if you are in a contract, you have to pay a forfeit for leaving that contract early. If this turns out badly enough, TT may have little option but to allow people to leave without charging them, which would suit me fine, otherwise I'll effectively be getting screwed by them twice!

I think this saga could see TalkTalk go under.

and hauled into the Commons for questioning....

(24-10-2015 16:41 )munch1917 Wrote:  

(24-10-2015 16:01 )gunnar Wrote:  I would have thought that the data breach concerns would be enough for someone to leave Talk Talk even if they are still in a contract.

Of course you can leave, whenever you want, but if you are in a contract, you have to pay a forfeit for leaving that contract early. If this turns out badly enough, TT may have little option but to allow people to leave without charging them, which would suit me fine, otherwise I'll effectively be getting screwed by them twice!

what would be the best option out there? rather not go back to BT or Virgin Media but would PlusNet offer a deal any better than Talk Talk's? I can't see TT letting people leave without charging, but I'm sure Talk have enough millions to probably continue in business for quite some time I would imagine, unless they make a substantial loss on profits from this saga

But not only that data encryption has to become a priority and compulsory requirement for companies....no matter their size protecting your customer details and personal information probably the only way that can be secured probably will end up with companies having to have a secure room for personal details on paper only!! and we probably would be required to renew that information once every six months and companies would then probably have to incinerate that information every six months to ensure safety!!
What would be the fall out for banks with this?

I've yet to find an internet service provider that hasn't pissed me off with incompetence.

(24-10-2015 16:59 )babelover48 Wrote:  

(24-10-2015 16:41 )munch1917 Wrote:  Of course you can leave, whenever you want, but if you are in a contract, you have to pay a forfeit for leaving that contract early. If this turns out badly enough, TT may have little option but to allow people to leave without charging them, which would suit me fine, otherwise I'll effectively be getting screwed by them twice!

what would be the best option out there? rather not go back to BT or Virgin Media but would PlusNet offer a deal any better than Talk Talk's? I can't see TT letting people leave without charging, but I'm sure Talk have enough millions to probably continue in business for quite some time I would imagine, unless they make a substantial loss on profits from this saga

But not only that data encryption has to become a priority and compulsory requirement for companies....no matter their size protecting your customer details and personal information probably the only way that can be secured probably will end up with companies having to have a secure room for personal details on paper only!! and we probably would be required to renew that information once every six months and companies would then probably have to incinerate that information every six months to ensure safety!!
What would be the fall out for banks with this?

^What I would do if I didn't want to stay with Talk Talk, is ring them and say i'm leaving. If they start threatening you, just say you will take the matter to the communication ombudsman.

http://www.ombudsman-services.org/communications.html

here is another link to the CAB about the ombudsman service.

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consum...ombudsman/

I can't imagine you would have any trouble leaving your contract, because they will be engaging in a damage limitation exercise for the near future and more bad publicity will be the last thing they want especially if you decided to go to the press as well.

now it is being reported the attack was smaller than first feared and whoever it was probably won't be able to access bank accounts

even the most robust firewalls would crack if enough pressure was applied. it would be sensible to have data and website on different servers. I use lastpass for passwords which comes with a password generator and stores the passwords so you only need one password to access your lastpass account to get the passwords for various sites, I will be changing my password when the members accounts section is back.

any phone calls claiming to banks or talktalk just hang up, I have had a phone call from Barclays or Lloyds tsb (back when I had an account before they forced to but another bank to get bail out money) once which started with them stating the 3 last transactions on my account, only the banks have that information not scum scammers. emails asking for details or to click on a link just delete them. if you manage to get a number from the person who phoned report it to talktalk and action fraud.

in this country worse case scenario gets reported first then when more information is gathered the scenario gets decreased so talktalk were correct in saying that financial data may have been stolen has the information at that time showed that the area where the financial info is stored was attacked giving the impression it was breached but has babelover48 has stated that the attack did not get that far into the servers. Some credit numbers are reported to appear has "xxxxx" with the last for digits like on a receipt from a shop or on amazon (if you store your card details there).

Talktalk have got BAE Systems to hunt down the blackmailer also to make sure the site is protected before it comes online again. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsb...ilers.html