AT&T Data Breach Exposes Call and Text Records of 110 Million Customers – Shocking Details Inside

Dallas, Texas – AT&T Corp. revealed a major data breach impacting nearly all of its customers, exposing phone call and text message records for approximately 110 million individuals. The breach, which was initially discovered in April, involved cyber intruders accessing an AT&T workspace on a third-party cloud platform. The stolen data included customer call and text interactions from May 1 to October 31, 2022, as well as on January 2, 2023.

AT&T disclosed the incident in a regulatory filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, citing concerns for national security and public safety as reasons for delaying the disclosure. The exposed customer records were stored in a cloud database protected only by a username and password, without multi-factor authentication, leaving the information vulnerable to exploitation.

Although the stolen data did not include sensitive information like Social Security numbers or dates of birth, some records contained details about the location of cellular communications towers nearest to the subscriber. This data could potentially be used to determine the approximate location of the customer’s device when initiating or receiving calls or messages.

In response to the breach, AT&T worked with federal investigators, leading to the detainment of at least one individual connected to the incident. Additionally, the FBI requested a delay in notifying affected customers to assess potential risks to national security and public safety. The company’s collaboration with law enforcement aimed to mitigate the impact of the breach and enhance incident response efforts.

The data breach is part of a larger trend involving the cloud data provider Snowflake, with malicious hackers targeting major companies that stored valuable customer information on Snowflake servers. Companies like Advance Auto Parts, Anheuser-Busch, and Ticketmaster have reported similar breaches, highlighting the importance of implementing robust security measures to protect sensitive data.

AT&T’s recent breach underscores the ongoing challenges companies face in safeguarding customer information and the need for stronger security protocols. Despite the prevalence of data breaches, many organizations continue to store vast amounts of sensitive data with inadequate security measures, raising concerns about data privacy and regulatory compliance.

The incident serves as a reminder of the evolving threat landscape and the critical need for companies to prioritize cybersecurity to protect customer data and uphold trust in an increasingly digital world. As technology advances, organizations must remain vigilant in implementing robust security practices to prevent unauthorized access and mitigate the impact of potential breaches.