AT&T Reports Major Data Breach Affecting 109 Million Customer Accounts
Massive Data Breach at AT&T
AT&T announced on Friday that it experienced a significant hacking incident. In April, data from approximately 109 million customer accounts, including records of calls and texts from 2022, was illegally downloaded. The company stated that the FBI is investigating the breach, and at least one individual has been arrested. The compromised data was copied from AT&T’s workspace on a third-party cloud platform.
Details of the Compromised Data
The stolen data includes AT&T records of calls and texts between May 2022 and October 2022. This affects nearly all AT&T cellular and landline customers interacting with those cellular numbers. However, the content of calls or texts and personal information, such as social security numbers, were not included. Additionally, the breach also includes records from January 2, 2023, for a small number of customers.
AT&T first became aware of the breach on April 19 when a hacker claimed to have accessed and copied call logs. The investigation revealed that hackers exfiltrated files containing customer call and text interactions between April 14 and April 25. These records identify telephone numbers with which a wireless number interacted and aggregate call duration. Some records also include cell site identification numbers.
Response and Actions Taken
AT&T shares fell by 2% in premarket trading following the news. The company has implemented additional cybersecurity measures and closed the point of unlawful access. It plans to notify customers about the incident and set up a website for them to check if their data was compromised.
The FBI and Federal Communications Commission have not yet commented on the breach. AT&T is collaborating with law enforcement and mentioned that it delayed public notification based on a decision by the Justice Department. The company believes that the data is not publicly available and confirmed that the incident has not materially impacted its operations.
Key Measures Moving Forward
AT&T has assured customers that it is taking the necessary steps to enhance cybersecurity and prevent future breaches. Customers are encouraged to stay informed through the company’s notifications and utilise the website set up to check the status of their data.
