TelkomSA (ISP) Security Issues & Bandwidth thieves

T

troXi

New Member
Joined
Aug 15, 2005
Messages
4
Reaction score
0
A quick note and also a check to see if anyone else is experiencing the same problem.....

We have an ADSL line at home, with an internet account with TelkomSA. Not ideal, but we have a reason for using them as our ISP... Problem is, on 2 occassions now we have had a 2nd connection made to our Internet account on the 1st of the month and that connection takes up 2GB in one day...

There is no way anyone is getting the password from us, which lead me to think that someone at TelkomSA is probably making a few bucks selling account information. These suspicions were strengthened when I phoned their technical support only to find out that anyone working there can view user passwords.

I used to work technical support for an ISP, and there was no way we could ever view user passwords, we could change them, but never view them.

If anyone else has a similar problem, pls mail me at [email protected] - maybe we can achieve something in numbers, as my discussions with telkom so far have been fruitless...
 
To test if somebody is using your account I suggest:

On the 1st day of the month, reset your password at midday. If the extra traffic stops, somebody got hold of your password. If the traffic continues there is something else weird going on.
 
maybe shouldnt even test? just change your password regardless :) oh, and isnt putting your email in forums dangerous? i dont know why it is, just heard it somewhere...
 
uhm yes... thats why i dont put my real email address in forums

i'm not an idiot... its called webmail ?? quick, easy 2nd mail address for anything you may want...
 
whoopsie :P sorry bout that...

anyhow, hope you get rid of this intruder.
 
I know the feeling

I have had the exact same thing happen to me!

I spoke to a few people at telkom, and laid a charge of theft and fraud at the local police station as per telkoms request. After a month of trying to explain what was going on I finally got hold of the inspector in charge and got him organise a subpoena, which was to be handed to telkom by their TSU. This was supposed to force telkom to release the address and telephone number of the person as they have records of the number and line connected to the DSLAM of who the person was. And allow the police to arrest him. I went to see him just as he was about to go "for a spin" in the local helicoptor and promised to contact me that afternoon with the results.

This took about 2 months before I was phoned from a police station on the other side of the country from me wanting to know if I could please hand in a complete statement. I again went through the whole long story of explaining, and it seemed that the subpoena had gone missing, and was again promised a call back. That was the last I have heard.

Right now I can not get hold of a single person that seems to know anything about my case. While I pushed hard at this in the beginning, I dont have the time to run around after our Policeman to make sure they are doing their job, Unfortunatly I think the "hackers" know this. But let me be caught at 130 km/h and you can bet I'll be issued with a fine in less then 2 weeks!

EDIT
And no offence meant to the few hard working policeman in the country. I know there are a few of them here on the forums, Just wish everyone took their job a serious as they do
 
Last edited:
@Kalvaer


Yip... exact same story with us... not really worth chasing a hacker...
 
troXi said:
@Kalvaer


Yip... exact same story with us... not really worth chasing a hacker...
Click to expand...
Oh dont get me wrong.. I want this persons ass to fry.. Especially since hackers just took down my website today! My problem is fighting a losing battle when I dont get the support from the Law that I am supposed too.

They have more important things to worry about is all I get told now days
:(
 
bandwidth thieves

Hi guys.
Anyone who knows a little bit about IT should know that stealing bandwidth is a reasonably easy thing to do.
Most people should know that when you are connected to the internet, you connect using a thing Called "Internet Protocol" We call it an IP address, which the router uses to dial through. this changes every 24hours so there is no way that i know of of tracking it. But im not going to get to complex.
but none the less. The security issues with this is quite bad, as you know you log into the router with a user name and password, to set up your ISP info, but most of these are still set to default, so anyone on the same range of IP can dial into your router and steal you account information, using a IP scanner! They get to the login screen and try the default Info. Once their in, they can take your ISP info off t he router. This is serious and us honest people pay a decent amount for bandwidth only to have these "wannabe hackers" steal it from us!
there is no way of catching these people that i know of, but why not tighten the security yourself
From a logical point of view. when your ISP set up your router, some leave the default user name and log in password there? this must definitely be changed!!!
I found that setting your router into "bridged" mode also keeps these guys from stealing your ISP info altogether.
Bridged mode allows you to connect to the internet by actually dialing from your computer. and having your ISP info on your PC and not the router. Its not 100% safe. but its a hell of a lot safer.
I think that if people are noticing strange things with their bandwidth they should ask about it.
And please change your login info PLEASE guys! If any of you do not know how to do this phone your ISP, and ask them how to do this, they will walk you through it over the phone.
There is a limit on bandwidth in this country, so its quite a big deal.
I hope what is said in this post is helpfull to most.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X