AT&T Data Breach Exposes Millions in Dark Web Incident
Personal data belonging to a staggering 73 million current or former AT&T customers has been exposed online, raising grave concerns about privacy and security. This breach, occurring on the dark web, has led to the disclosure of sensitive information including addresses, social security numbers, and passcodes, AT&T revealed.
While the telecom giant has not confirmed evidence of data theft, it has taken swift action by engaging cybersecurity experts to delve into the matter. Additionally, AT&T has proactively reset customers’ passcodes and urged them to maintain vigilance by closely monitoring their account activities and credit reports.
The leaked data, apparently originating from 2019 or earlier, pertains to a substantial number of individuals, comprising 7.6 million current customers and a staggering 65.4 million former account holders. Among the compromised information are full names, email addresses, and dates of birth, although AT&T has reassured customers that financial details have not been implicated in the breach.
In a statement, AT&T indicated uncertainty regarding the source of the leaked data, raising the possibility of either an internal breach or a breach involving a third-party supplier. AT&T’s expansive wireless 5G network serves approximately 290 million people across the United States, cementing its position as one of the nation’s premier mobile and internet service providers.
This incident comes on the heels of a significant outage in February, affecting tens of thousands of phone users and prompting AT&T to issue an apology along with a $5 credit offer for affected individuals. The outage, which rendered phones unusable for approximately 12 hours, triggered an investigation by New York prosecutors into AT&T’s handling of the situation.
As the fallout from this breach unfolds, it underscores the critical need for robust cybersecurity measures to safeguard sensitive customer data in an increasingly digitized world. AT&T’s response to this breach will likely be closely scrutinized as it navigates the aftermath and works to restore trust among its vast customer base.
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