AT&T Faces Major Data Breach
AT&T revealed in a regulatory filing on Friday that a hacker managed to steal the records of calls and texts for “nearly all” of its customers. The company discovered the breach on April 19, when a hacker claimed to have unlawfully accessed and copied AT&T call logs. This alarming information was disclosed in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Details of the Breach
The hacker infiltrated an AT&T workspace on a third-party cloud platform, exfiltrating files containing records of customer call and text interactions from May 1 to October 31, 2022. Additionally, data for a “very small number” of customers was compromised on January 2, 2023. AT&T confirmed these details in a separate release.
AT&T data breach exposes 73 million current, former accounts on the dark web, company says. The data includes records of calls and texts of nearly all AT&T cellular customers, as well as those using mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) on AT&T’s network, and AT&T landline customers interacting with those cellular numbers.
Nature of the Stolen Data
The compromised records reveal telephone numbers that interacted with AT&T or MVNO wireless numbers during the specified periods. These records include telephone numbers of AT&T wireline customers and customers of other carriers, counts of interactions, and aggregate call duration for a day or month. However, the data does not contain the content of calls or messages, nor does it include personal information like Social Security numbers or dates of birth.
Privacy Concerns
While the stolen data does not include customer names, AT&T acknowledged that names could potentially be discovered through certain publicly available online tools. This raises significant privacy concerns for affected customers.
Company Response and Actions
AT&T launched an investigation into the breach and has engaged leading cybersecurity experts to understand the extent and nature of the criminal activity. The company also closed off the point of unlawful access. One individual has been arrested in connection with the breach, and AT&T is working with law enforcement to apprehend others involved.
Recent Troubles for AT&T
This incident is the latest in a series of issues plaguing the company in recent months. In March, AT&T discovered another data breach exposing 73 million current and former accounts on the dark web. Additionally, the company experienced a broad network outage in February that lasted about 10 hours, followed by another incident in June.
AT&T continues to grapple with these challenges as it seeks to secure its networks and restore customer trust. The company’s proactive measures and collaboration with law enforcement indicate a serious commitment to addressing the breach and preventing future incidents.
This major data breach highlights the ongoing cybersecurity threats faced by large telecommunications companies and underscores the need for robust security measures to protect customer information.
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