Cosmote

Cosmote is a telecommunications provider headquartered in Greece, delivering voice, data, and mobile services to thousands of subscribers. The company's network infrastructure processes extensive call records and subscriber metadata as part of its daily operations, including phone numbers, call timestamps, duration, device specifications, and location coordinates. This establishes Cosmote as a major entity in Greece's telecommunications sector, handling sensitive information generated by routine communications. Its services support both consumer and business customers across the country, though precise metrics on market share or subscriber counts are not disclosed in available materials. The operational scope involves managing large volumes of metadata, which forms a core part of its service delivery and billing systems.

In September 2020, Cosmote experienced cybersecurity incidents where unauthorized parties accessed customer call records over several days. The breach originated through a third-party system, likely based in Lithuania, compromising metadata such as phone numbers, call timestamps, duration, device specifications, subscriber identifiers, demographic information, revenue metrics, location coordinates, and service plans for thousands of subscribers. No personally identifiable names were exposed. Judicial authorities initiated a preliminary investigation, and the country's cybercrime police unit compiled an official case file to examine the breach's scope. The company reported no operational disruptions, and available reports do not specify further details on remediation or long-term impacts. The incidents highlighted the challenges of securing third-party vendor integrations within telecommunications infrastructure.