The data was obtained, according to the anonymous hacker, by convincing a Verizon employee to grant them remote access to their corporate computer.
According to media reports, a database containing the full name, email address, corporate ID numbers, and phone numbers of several Verizon employees has been compromised, and the hacker is holding it for a $250,000 ransom.
According to Motherboard, the hacker stated that they contacted Verizon and shared the email he sent the company.
“Please feel free to respond with an offer not to leak your (sic) entire employee database,” wrote the hacker in the email.
According to the website, a Verizon spokesperson confirmed that the hacker has made contact with the company.
“A fraudster recently contacted us threatening to release readily available employee directory information in exchange for payment from Verizon,” a Verizon spokesperson said in an email to Motherboard.
“We do not believe the fraudster has any sensitive information,” the spokesperson added.
Meanwhile, the hacker contacted Motherboard last week to share the information, according to the report.
The data was obtained, according to the anonymous hacker, by convincing a Verizon employee to grant them remote access to their corporate computer.
Although the database does not contain information such as Social Security numbers, passwords, or credit card numbers, the stolen data is still potentially dangerous, according to the report.