Cops checking if telco staff tried to sell data

KUALA LUMPUR: Police are looking into the possibility that those employed in telecommunication companies (telcos) had attempted to sell the data of over 46 million mobile phone subscribers.

Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Noor Rashid said the course of investigations would cover those with access to the database.

Noor Rashid said the federal police’s Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) was working with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and telcos to solve the case, and that they needed time to investigate the case due to the technicality of the matter.

“We need more time, but we have started looking for the perpetrators.

“There’s a possibility that one of the individuals involved had abused his position to access the data and sell it to the public,” he said at the Deepavali celebrations at the Police City Contingent Headquarters, yesterday.

The Lowyat.net website had reported that about 46.2 million mobile phone numbers registered with Malaysian telecommunications and mobile virtual network operators had been compromised and leaked online.

The leaks included postpaid and prepaid phone numbers and customer addresses, and subscriber identity module (SIM) card details from major operators, including DiGi, Celcom, Maxis, Tunetalk, Redtone and Altel.

Lowyat.net said it confirmed that three databases belonging to the Malaysian Medical Council, Malaysian Medical Association and Malaysian Dental Association (MDA) had also been leaked.

Meanwhile, Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Salleh Said Keruak said the suspected sources of leaks might have been identified.

He said the government was investigating the case, and that MCMC was probing the matter with help from the police.

“We have identified potential sources of the leaks and we should be able to complete the probe soon,” Salleh said at Parliament here. By Faisal Asyraf and Arfa Yunus and Laili Ismail