The FBI is investigating an iPad security breach at an AT&T Web site that compromised an estimated 114,000 e-mail addresses, including those of politicians, celebrities and military higher-ups.
"The FBI is aware of the possible computer intrusion and has opened an investigation to address the potential cyberthreat," Lindsay Godwin, an FBI spokeswoman in Washington, D.C., said an AP report.
The e-mail addresses reportedly include those of White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and executives at several big media firms.
A computer hacking group calling itself Goatse Security obtained the e-mail addresses and shared the data with Internet media firm Gawker Media. Gawker-owner Valleywag, a gossip blog, reported the breach late Wednesday, the report said.
So far, no apparent harm has surfaced for any iPad users. Their vulnerability to privacy invasion, spam or hacking depends on how widely their e-mail addresses have been distributed by the hacking group or others, security experts say.
AT&T said it fixed the Web site flaw on Tuesday, one day after it was notified by a "business customer" of the security breach.
