Syniverse, a communications company that helps carriers like Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T route text messages between each other and other overseas carriers, has revealed that it has been the subject of a potential hack for five years.

The hack in question was revealed in a Syniverse filing by the Securities and Exchange Commission published last week.

Syniverse said it became aware of unauthorized access to its IT and operating systems by an unknown individual or organization in May 2021.

The company did its due diligence by notifying law enforcement and conducting an internal investigation, which led to the discovery that the security breach first began in May 2016. That’s five years of unfettered access to hackers.

The file says hackers gained unauthorized access to databases within its network on several occasions, and that login information allowing access to or from the Electronic Data Transfer (EDT) environment was compromised for 235 of its clients.

This can include access to call logs and metadata such as phone numbers, locations, and text message content.

The SEC filing from Syniverse says the company notified anyone who was in the breach, and that resetting the credentials was appropriate.

Hackers have gained access to billions of text messages

Additionally, Syniverse has not observed any evidence of intent to disrupt its or its customers’ operations. There was no attempt to monetize the unauthorized activity, the file states.

Syniverse is a common exchange center for carriers around the world, passing billing information back and forth to each other. So it transmits sensitive information like call logs, data usage logs, text messages, etc.

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A security breach has been revealed to Syniverse as it attempts to go public. This was done through a merger with SPAC, a special purpose acquisition company. But it appears to have been a target primarily because of the company’s size.

Syniverse has spent the past decade trying to become the number one responsible for many US telecoms companies. This is done through acquisitions.

Syniverse is an important part of the global communications infrastructure used by AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, and many other companies around the world such as Vodafone and China Mobile.