(Cupventi.com) – In a significant development, AT&T has commenced the process of informing a vast number of its clientele regarding a data breach that resulted in the unauthorized access to personal details. This breach, recently uncovered on a concealed section of the internet known as the “dark web,” affects approximately 7.6 million current subscribers and an additional 65.4 million former users of the telecommunications behemoth.
The data set discovered in the shadows of the internet encompasses sensitive information, including Social Security numbers of the affected individuals. In response to this alarming discovery, AT&T has taken immediate measures by resetting the passcodes of its current account holders. Furthermore, the company is in the process of reaching out to those whose personal details have been jeopardized.
The origins of the compromised data remain uncertain, with AT&T stating that it is unclear whether the information was leaked directly from its systems or through one of its third-party vendors. According to the company’s findings, the exposed data dates back to 2019 or earlier and seemingly excludes financial details or records of call history. The breadth of information at risk extends beyond Social Security numbers, potentially including email addresses, mailing addresses, phone numbers, and dates of birth.
The revelation of this data breach comes amidst reports that the same set of data had appeared on a hacker forum nearly two weeks prior to the announcement. This incident bears a striking resemblance to a similar breach in 2021, which AT&T did not officially recognize. Troy Hunt, a prominent figure in the field of cybersecurity and the founder of a platform designed to alert individuals of their personal information being compromised, expressed concern over AT&T’s handling of the situation. Hunt suggested that should AT&T have misjudged the severity of the breach, the company might soon find itself facing legal challenges in the form of class action lawsuits.
This data theft is not the lone challenge faced by the Dallas-headquartered corporation this year. An outage in February led to a temporary disruption in cellular services for thousands of its users across the United States. AT&T attributed the cause of the outage to a technical glitch in coding, dismissing the possibility of a deliberate cyberattack.
The unfolding of these events has placed AT&T under scrutiny, raising questions about the robustness of its cybersecurity measures and its transparency in dealing with such breaches. As the situation develops, AT&T’s actions in safeguarding its customers’ information and its efforts to mitigate the repercussions of this breach will be closely monitored.