Frontier Communications, a leading US telecommunications provider, has confirmed a major data breach resulting from a ransomware attack that exposed the personal data of over 750,000 customers. The cyberattack occurred in April and has put the sensitive information of these customers at risk.
Ransomware attack on Frontier Communications compromised customer data, prompting investigation and free credit monitoring for those affected.JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images
Frontier Hit by Major Cyberattack
According to the data breach notification the company submitted to the Office of the Maine Attorney General, Frontier detected unauthorized access to its internal IT systems on April 14, 2024.
The breach allowed hackers to access the personal data of 751,895 customers, including full names and Social Security numbers. Frontier has notified affected customers and offered them one year of free credit monitoring and identity theft services.
The telecommunications provider, which offers gigabit internet speeds over a fiber-optic network to millions of consumers and businesses across 25 states, took immediate action upon discovering the breach.
Frontier shut down some of its systems to contain the attack and prevent it from spreading further. This resulted in temporary internet outages for many customers, with support phone numbers redirecting to prerecorded messages instead of live operators.
BleepingComputer reports that the RansomHub extortion group has claimed responsibility for the attack. On June 4, 2024, RansomHub added Frontier Communications to its extortion portal on the dark web, threatening to leak the 5GB of data allegedly stolen during the attack.
The group claims that the stolen dataset contains information for two million Frontier customers, including full names, physical addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, email addresses, credit scores, and phone numbers.
RansomHub has demanded that Frontier respond to their ransom demands by June 14, 2024. If Frontier fails to comply, the group threatens to sell the data to the highest bidder. The hackers' extortion tactics focus primarily on data theft rather than encryption, making their threats to leak sensitive information particularly concerning.
Frontier Alerts Affected Customers
In response to the breach, Frontier has taken several steps to address the situation and protect its customers. The company has engaged leading cybersecurity experts to investigate the incident and strengthen its network security. Frontier has also informed regulatory authorities and law enforcement about the breach.
"We take seriously the security of your data and are offering you one year of complimentary credit monitoring and identity theft resolution services to help protect your information," Frontier stated in the data breach notification sent to impacted customers.
Frontier has advised affected customers to enroll in the free credit monitoring and identity theft services provided by Kroll. Customers are also urged to remain vigilant against potential identity theft and fraud by reviewing their account statements and monitoring their credit reports for suspicious activity.
