“AT&T Confirms Massive Data Breach”: But How Much Was Exposed? – Get full report

Dallas – AT&T disclosed Friday that call and text message records belonging to tens of millions of its cellphone customers, as well as numerous non-AT&T customers, were exposed in a large-scale data breach occurring in mid-to-late 2022.

Following the news AT&T share price fell 2% before the market’s opening session on same day. It might be setback for the company but can turn into lesson for all.

AT&T has reported that customer data was illicitly accessed from their workspace on a third-party cloud platform, prompting an investigation involving cybersecurity experts to assess the situation. The company has confirmed that the access point has been secured.

AT&T has connections of more than 100 million U.S. citizens plus 2.5 million businesses

According to findings from the investigation, the compromised data includes phone call and text message records spanning from May 1, 2022, to October 31, 2022, and also includes data from January 2, 2023. This information discloses phone numbers that interacted with AT&T wireless services during this timeframe, including AT&T home phone customers. Some records also contain cell site ID numbers associated with these interactions.

Currently, AT&T believes the accessed data has not been made public. Collaboration with law enforcement is underway to apprehend those responsible, with confirmation that at least one individual has been detained.

AT&T confirmed on Friday,

The data involved in the breach includes call and text records that identify the phone numbers interacted with by AT&T numbers during the specified period, encompassing interactions with AT&T landline (home phone) customers. Additionally, counts of calls or texts and total call durations for specific days or months were also included.
Affected individuals, both current and former customers, will be notified if their information was involved in the breach.

The downloaded data does not include the content of any calls or texts, nor does it contain the time stamps for these communications. Additionally, there are no details such as Social Security numbers, dates of birth, or other personally identifiable information included in the data.

While customer names are not included in the data, it is noted that there are often methods to identify a name associated with a phone number using publicly available online tools.

AT&T gives confidence to the customers,

Protecting customer’s data is one of their top priorities. They have confirmed the affected access point has been secured. The company has stated its dedication to upholding high standards and delivering a positive customer experience. They highlight ongoing efforts to improve security measures in response to changing cybersecurity threats, aiming to establish a safe environment for customers. Investment in network security involves utilizing resources like personnel, funding, and advanced technology.