PCMag editors select and review products independently. If you buy through affiliate links, we may earn commissions, which help support our testing.

ADT Data Breach Exposes Customer Addresses, Phone Numbers

Home security firm ADT confirms hackers breached internal systems and swiped customer information. It doesn't currently think that customer security systems were accessed.

 & Kate Irwin Reporter

Our team tests, rates, and reviews more than 1,500 products each year to help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.

Our Expert
LOOK INSIDE PC LABS HOW WE TEST
65 EXPERTS
43 YEARS
41,500+ REVIEWS
(Credit: Joe Raedle/Staff via Getty Images)

US security company ADT Inc. has confirmed that hackers breached its internal systems and accessed customer information this month, according to a disclosure report shared with the US Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday.

"Unauthorized actors illegally accessed certain databases containing ADT customer order information," the company wrote. "After becoming aware of the incident, the company promptly took steps to shut down the unauthorized access and launched an investigation, partnering with leading third-party cybersecurity industry experts."

ADT has already notified customers whose data was swiped, which includes phone numbers, physical addresses, and email addresses. The company doesn't believe any credit card or financial information on customers was stolen, however, and doesn't currently think that any of its customers' security systems were accessed or compromised due to the hack.

Unfortunately, this isn't the first time ADT has experienced security issues of its own. A former technician for the company previously confessed to secretly viewing customer security cameras nearly 10,000 times over a four-year period by adding his own email to customer accounts, Security Magazine reported in 2021.

Amazon-owned Ring faced a similar scandal, in which an employee spied on customers' video footage, leading the Federal Trade Commission to send refunds to over 100,000 customers.

Data breaches more broadly remain an ongoing concern for firms across virtually every industry. Cash App recently faced a class-action lawsuit over its past data breaches, and AT&T reportedly paid off a hacker to delete stolen data and faces a lawsuit of its own.

About Our Expert

Kate Irwin

Kate Irwin

Reporter

I’m a reporter for PCMag covering tech news early in the morning. Prior to joining PCMag, I was a producer and reporter at Decrypt and launched its gaming vertical, GG. I have previously written for Input, Game Rant, Dot Esports, and other places, covering a range of gaming, tech, crypto, and entertainment news.

I’ve been a PC gamer since The Sims (yes, the original) in the CD-ROM days. I still think about my first-gen pink iPod mini, which, looking back, was not so mini. In 2020, I finally built my own custom Windows PC for gaming with a 3090 graphics card, but I also regularly use Mac and iOS devices. As a reporter, I’m passionate about documenting the wide world of tech and how it affects our daily lives.

My Areas of Expertise

  • Microsoft
  • Google
  • Artificial intelligence 
  • Cybersecurity
  • Video games are a big one. I specialize in shooters (Apex Legends, Fortnite, Overwatch) but I occasionally test out other genres as well, especially indie games or cozy games (The Sims series, Animal Crossing). 
  • The business and tech that powers video games
  • Cryptocurrency and blockchain technology
  • Social media platforms, including Meta’s apps, X/Twitter, Telegram, TikTok, etc.
  • Tech regulation

The Technology I Use

  • MSI gaming laptops
  • Nvidia graphics cards
  • AMD CPUs
  • MacBook Pro and Air laptops
  • An iPhone from 2019 (though I’m thinking about getting a “dumb phone” like the Light Phone)
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PlayStation 5
  • Freewrite Traveler 
  • At home: Sonos speakers (we have them all over the house), Philips Hue + Ring security products

Read full bio