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TalkTalk website hit by cyber-attack TalkTalk website hit by cyber-attack
(35 minutes later)
Police are investigating after a "significant and sustained cyber-attack" on the TalkTalk website, the UK company has confirmed. Police are investigating after a "significant and sustained cyber-attack" on the TalkTalk website, the UK company has said.
The phone and broadband provider, which has over 4 million customers in the UK, said credit card and bank details could have been accessed. The phone and broadband provider, which has more than four million customers in the UK, said credit card and bank details could have been accessed.
The Metropolitan Police Cyber Crime Unit is investigating the attack, which happened on Wednesday. TalkTalk said potentially all customers could be affected but it was too early to know what data had been stolen.
It is the second time the company has been targeted by hackers this year. The Metropolitan Police is investigating Wednesday's attack.
Tristia Harrison, TalkTalk's managing director said in a statement that a criminal investigation was launched on Thursday and was ongoing but there was a chance that names, addresses, dates of birth, email addresses and bank details had been accessed. A spokeswoman for the Met said: "There have been no arrests and enquiries are ongoing."
She said: "We are continuing to work with leading cyber crime specialists and the Metropolitan Police to establish exactly what happened and the extent of any information accessed." TalkTalk said in a statement that a criminal investigation had been launched on Thursday, adding there was a chance that customers' names, addresses, dates of birth, email addresses and bank details had been accessed.
The company urged customers to keep an eye on their accounts over the next few months and report any unusual activity to their bank and Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040. Dido Harding, chief executive of the TalkTalk group, told BBC News: "We brought down all our websites [on Wednesday] lunchtime and have spent the last 24 hours investigating with the Met Police.
It said the website was now secure again and it had also contacted the major banks to monitor for any suspicious activity on customers' accounts. "It's too early to know exactly what data has been attacked and what has been stolen... Potentially it could affect all of our customers, which is why we are contacting them all by email and we will also write to them as well."
This is the third in a spate of cyber attacks affecting TalkTalk customers.
In August, the company revealed its mobile sales site had been targeted and personal data was breached by criminals.
And in February TalkTalk customers were warned about scammers who had managed to steal thousands of account numbers and names, which was discovered after a surge in complaints about scam calls.
Ms Harding said: "Unfortunately cybercrime is the crime of our generation.
"Can our defences be stronger? Absolutely. Can every company's defences be stronger?
"I'm a customer myself of Talk Talk, I've been a victim of this attack."
It is expected to take some time to contact everyone and a number of customers have taken to social media to express their frustration that they are yet to hear anything.
TalkTalk urged customers to keep an eye on their accounts over the next few months and report any unusual activity to their bank and Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.
Ms Harding said the website was now secure again and the company had also contacted the major banks asking them to monitor for any suspicious activity on customers' accounts.
She said that every customer would also be getting a year's free credit monitoring.
Are you a TalkTalk customer? If you have any information to share with the BBC, you can email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.Are you a TalkTalk customer? If you have any information to share with the BBC, you can email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
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