AT&T disclosed on Friday that a cyberattack compromised the data of “nearly all” its cellular customers after hackers accessed it from a third-party cloud platform.
The telecommunications giant has “taken steps” to secure the breached access point and is collaborating with law enforcement to identify the perpetrators. AT&T reported that at least one individual has already been arrested.
“At this time, we do not believe that the data is publicly available,” AT&T stated in a press release.
“The company will notify current and former customers whose information was involved in the breach,” an AT&T spokesperson informed The Post.
The compromised data includes records of phone calls and texts for cellular customers, wireless network users, and landline customers who interacted with cellular customers between May 2022 and October 2022. Additionally, a small number of customer records from January 2, 2023, were also affected.
The stolen data does not include the contents of phone calls and text messages, nor personal information such as Social Security numbers or dates of birth, according to AT&T.
The data also lacks timestamps, meaning the hackers can see which users interacted and how many times, but not when those interactions occurred.
AT&T first became aware of the data breach in April.
What can hackers do with the stolen data?
Hackers often use stolen data, like Social Security numbers, bank information, or dates of birth, to commit identity theft or fraud. However, AT&T assured that this breach did not include such personal information.
The incident raises concerns for AT&T regarding the potential for future breaches. Hackers may use a data breach to extort a company, demanding ransom for the stolen data.
This isn’t the first time AT&T has faced a data leak. In March, the company reset the passwords of over 7 million customers following a breach. During that incident, hackers may have released customers’ full names and Social Security numbers on the “dark web,” exposing AT&T customers to the risk of identity theft.
What should AT&T customers do now?
Despite assurances from AT&T that personal information was not compromised, customers can take steps to protect themselves.
Customers should update their account passwords and monitor their accounts for any unusual activity after a data breach.
If customers are concerned about a potential personal information leak, they should closely monitor their bank accounts and contact their credit card companies if they notice any suspicious activity.
{Matzav.com}