Networking Nuggets and Security Snippets

Jon Oltsik

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Will the T-Mobile Breach be a Game Changer?

By joltsik on Tue, 06/09/09 - 9:45am.

As of this morning, unofficial sources are reporting that T-Mobile has acknowledged that some of its servers have in fact been compromised but it is still investigating the extent of the damages.

Okay so let's say that this is true and that thousands of T-Mobile subscribers' private information has been compromised. Will this breach be the tippingpoint that triggers massive action? After all, T-Mobile is in the networking business. If a company with the technical chops of T-Mobile is hacked, then banks, utilities, and government systems must be sitting ducks.

If you aren't frightened by this prospect, you should be. I for one hope that this breach and President Obama's recently announced cybersecurity initiative finally get the general public to realize just how vulnerable we are. I hate to sound like Chicken Little, but if we don't act soon, we may look back at the T-Mobile breach as a missed opportunity.

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About Networking Nuggets and Security Snippets

Jon Oltsik is a principal analyst at Enterprise Strategy Group responsible for the networking and security services at ESG. Prior to joining ESG, Jon was the founder and principal of Hype-Free Consulting. Mr. Oltsik previously served as VP of Marketing & Strategy at GiantLoop Network where he managed all marketing activities and defined the company’s strategic vision. Jon was also a Senior Analyst at Forrester Research where he covered a wide range of infrastructure and IT topics. In this role, he was frequently quoted in business journals, including the Wall Street Journal, Business Week, and the New York Times, and was also the recipient of a prestigious "best research" award for his breakthrough report, "The Internet Computing Voyage."