The renowned provider Ledger confirmed this Monday a new security intrusion that affected the personal information of its users through its payment processor Global-e. The incident, detected on January 5, 2026, compromises names and contact details, although it does not put the stored funds at risk. This data breach reignites alarms regarding hardware wallet security following the massive attacks recently recorded against MetaMask and Trust Wallet users.
Lockridge Okoth, spokesperson and editor of the news, reported that the leak occurred specifically in the cloud infrastructure linked to the third-party logistics provider. Ledger acted quickly to contain the unusual activity and hired independent forensic experts to secure its internal systems immediately. However, investigators warn that affected customers face heightened risks from targeted phishing campaigns and sophisticated social engineering attacks across the web.
The company clarified that recovery phrases and private keys remain completely secure within each user’s physical hardware device. Nevertheless, this event highlights the dangerous dependence of tech companies on external vendors to manage sensitive information of their buyers. Therefore, the exposure of personal data can be used by scammers to deceive users and steal their digital assets through technical deceptions and fake emails.
Systemic risks in the digital custody supply chain
Likewise, this new report comes just hours after malicious actors targeted MetaMask users with advanced fraudulent schemes on the network. These attackers deployed scams mimicking two-factor verification to steal seed phrases on a massive scale from unsuspecting users. On the other hand, hardware wallet security is under pressure from similar incidents occurring in December, such as the Trust Wallet extension hack recently.
That previous attack resulted in the theft of approximately 7 million dollars in assets from users affected by the technical vulnerability. Investigations into these events have highlighted the inherent weaknesses in update pipelines and third-party credential management systems. For this reason, the industry seeks to balance convenience with robust protection needed to prevent the weakest links in the chain from being constantly exploited.
Is it possible to guarantee total privacy in the cryptocurrency ecosystem?
The repetition of these incidents puts significant pressure on companies to strengthen their internal protocols and customer education efforts. It is fundamental that users understand that no provider will ever request your asset recovery phrase outside of the official and secure channels of the hardware device. In this way, constant vigilance and scrutiny of business partners become mandatory tasks to maintain public trust in the ecosystem.
Finally, the growth of criptocurrencies adoption requires wallet providers to reinforce the management of their external vendors exhaustively and regularly. Future prospects suggest that supply chain attacks will continue to be a critical concern for the entire digital financial sector. Therefore, hardware wallet security will depend not only on the device’s robustness but on the total integrity of the associated service network.
