UScellular

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) disclosed a data breach affecting **UScellular** in early November 2022. Between **October 29 and October 31, 2022**, unauthorized actors gained access to the company’s systems, compromising **customer billing information**, including **names, addresses, PIN codes, and cellular telephone numbers**. While the exact number of impacted individuals remains undisclosed, the breach exposed sensitive personal data that could facilitate **identity theft, SIM-swapping attacks, or targeted phishing campaigns**. The incident highlights vulnerabilities in UScellular’s security protocols, raising concerns over the protection of customer data. Although no financial records (e.g., credit card details) or highly sensitive information (e.g., Social Security numbers) were reported as stolen, the exposure of **PIN codes**—often used for account authentication—poses a significant risk of **fraudulent account takeovers**. The breach underscores the growing threat of **cyber intrusions targeting telecom providers**, where even non-financial data can be weaponized for malicious purposes. UScellular has not publicly detailed the attack vector, but the FCC’s involvement suggests regulatory scrutiny over compliance with data protection standards.

Source: https://www.maine.gov/agviewer/content/ag/985235c7-cb95-4be2-8792-a1252b4f8318/a0c4dc2c-1a2e-4bcc-af7f-91460d80b9b5.shtml

TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/uscellular

"id": "usc1014090725",
"linkid": "uscellular",
"type": "Breach",
"date": "10/2022",
"severity": "85",
"impact": "4",
"explanation": "Attack with significant impact with customers data leaks"

{'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': 'Unknown',
                        'industry': 'Telecommunications',
                        'location': 'United States',
                        'name': 'UScellular',
                        'type': 'Telecommunications Provider'}],
 'data_breach': {'data_exfiltration': 'Likely (unauthorized access confirmed)',
                 'number_of_records_exposed': 'Unknown',
                 'personally_identifiable_information': True,
                 'sensitivity_of_data': 'High (includes PIN codes and personal '
                                        'details)',
                 'type_of_data_compromised': ['customer billing information',
                                              'personally identifiable '
                                              'information (PII)']},
 'date_detected': '2022-11-09',
 'date_publicly_disclosed': '2022-11-09',
 'description': 'The Federal Communications Commission reported a data breach '
                'involving UScellular on November 9, 2022. The breach occurred '
                'between October 29, 2022, and October 31, 2022, allowing '
                'unauthorized access to customer billing information, '
                'including names, addresses, PIN codes, and cellular telephone '
                'numbers. The number of affected individuals is currently '
                'unknown.',
 'impact': {'data_compromised': ['names',
                                 'addresses',
                                 'PIN codes',
                                 'cellular telephone numbers'],
            'identity_theft_risk': 'Potential (PIN codes and personal data '
                                   'exposed)'},
 'investigation_status': 'Ongoing (as of disclosure date)',
 'references': [{'date_accessed': '2022-11-09',
                 'source': 'Federal Communications Commission (FCC)'}],
 'regulatory_compliance': {'regulatory_notifications': 'Reported to the '
                                                       'Federal Communications '
                                                       'Commission (FCC)'},
 'title': 'UScellular Data Breach (2022)',
 'type': 'Data Breach'}