AT&T has confirmed that a data set containing AT&T-specific information was leaked on the dark web around two weeks ago.
The communications giant is currently investigating to pinpoint whether the data originated directly from AT&T or through one of their vendors.
This data set notably includes sensitive personal details such as social security numbers, though the exact source remains under review.
Following the discovery, AT&T has initiated a comprehensive probe, marshaling both in-house and third-party cybersecurity experts. Preliminary findings suggest that the compromised data dates back to 2019 or earlier.
The breach could potentially affect approximately 7.6 million current and around 65.4 million former AT&T account holders.
Despite the severity of the incident, AT&T has stated there is no evidence to suggest an unauthorized breach of their systems leading to the leak.
The company has taken preemptive steps, proactively reaching out to affected parties and is offering complimentary credit monitoring services. AT&T is urging both current and former customers to visit their dedicated web page at www.att.com/accountsafety for further information.
Moreover, AT&T has issued an additional notice clarifying the nature of the exposed data. The leak seems to include customer passcodes, names, email addresses, residential addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers. In response, AT&T has reset the passcodes for the 7.6 million current account holders who were affected.
“It has come to our attention that a number of AT&T passcodes have been compromised. We are reaching out to all 7.6M impacted customers and have reset their passcodes. In addition, we will be communicating with current and former account holders with compromised sensitive personal information,” according to the statement.
“Our internal teams are working with external cybersecurity experts to analyze the situation. To the best of our knowledge, the compromised data appears to be from 2019 or earlier and does not contain personal financial information or call history.”
“We encourage customers to remain vigilant by monitoring account activity and credit reports. You can set up free fraud alerts from nationwide credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. You can also request and review your free credit report at any time via Freecreditreport.com,” the statement added.
In February, The Gateway Pundit reported tens of thousands of cell phone users experienced outages Thursday morning for their home phone, internet, and mobile phone services, which sparked fears of a possible cyber attack.
AT&T said they have identified what caused the shocking outage for over 73,000 Americans as footage has emerged showing helpless AT&T store workers being harassed by angry customers.
The company announced in a statement that the outage was not a cyberattack but an unspecified coding error caused by “the application and execution of an incorrect process used as we were expanding our network.”
The “incorrect process in question” is related to a software update gone awry. Moreover, according to ABC News, the outage was not caused by an external actor.
via thegatewaypundit
