The company said it was their understanding at least one individual had been apprehended by law enforcement.
In an announcement on Friday, July 12, AT&T said that they had discovered a data breach in April involving an unauthorized download of data from a third-party cloud platform that affects nearly all of its customers.
The telecommunications company said in a statement they had since launched an investigation and enlisted the help of cybersecurity experts to assess the breach’s scope and nature.
The company added they had confirmed the data access point used to obtain the information had been secured and AT&T is working with law enforcement, resulting in at least one arrest.
“Protecting your data is one of our top priorities,” the company said in a separate post on a website set up to answer questions customers may have about the leak. “We hold ourselves to a high standard and commit to delivering the experience that you deserve. We constantly evaluate and enhance our security to address changing cybersecurity threats and work to create a secure environment for you. We invest in our network’s security using a broad array of resources including people, capital, and innovative technology advancements.”
The breach compromised records of calls and texts for nearly all AT&T cellular customers, as well as customers of mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) using AT&T’s wireless network, and AT&T landline customers who interacted with those cellular numbers, the company said.
The affected period spans from May 1, 2022, to October 31, 2022, with additional records from January 2, 2023, for a small number of customers also being leaked. The compromised data includes telephone numbers involved in interactions and, for some records, cell site identification numbers.
“The data does not contain the content of calls or texts, personal information such as Social Security numbers, dates of birth, or other personally identifiable information,” the company’s statement noted. “It also does not include some typical information you see in your usage details, such as the time stamp of calls or texts. While the data does not include customer names, there are often ways, using publicly available online tools, to find the name associated with a specific telephone number.”
By Chase Smith
