AT&T disclosed a massive data breach impacting a vast majority of its cellular customers. The company revealed that unauthorized parties gained access to files containing call and text message records.
What Data Was Exposed?
(Photo : Rubaitul Azad from Unsplash)
AT&T has detected an "unlawful access of customer data" lately. The company said that the breach compromised the call and text records of users.
According to AT&T's filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the compromised data includes:
- Call and text message records for nearly all AT&T cellular customers.
- Call and text message records for customers of mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) that utilize AT&T's network.
- Call and text message records for AT&T landline customers who interacted with the aforementioned cellular numbers between May 1, 2022, and October 31, 2022.
- A limited dataset of call and text records for a small number of customers on January 2, 2023.
According to USA Today, while customer names were not directly compromised, AT&T acknowledges the potential for using publicly available online tools to identify individuals associated with specific phone numbers.
Related Article: AT&T Resolves Issue of Users' Calls Failing to Go Through to Other Carriers Over Network Issues
What is AT&T Doing About It?
AT&T says that they are actively working with law enforcement to apprehend those involved in the breach. They confirm at least one individual has been apprehended.
The company is also offering resources to affected customers. For more information about the recent security incident, click here.
FCC to Help AT&T Resolve Data Breach
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has acknowledged the ongoing investigation and confirmed collaboration with law enforcement partners.
This was not the first time that AT&T was hit by a major hacking incident. Back in March, it suffered from a data leak that affected 70 million customers. However, it only denied the attack at that time, stating that there was no evidence that someone breached their systems.
AT&T Collaborates With Samsung For Phone Repair
AT&T, in partnership with South Korean tech giant Samsung, made it possible for Galaxy phone owners to join the same-day repair option.
According to Tech Times, the program has been accessible to nearly 700 locations nationwide. It was first teased on Wednesday, July 10 during the Galaxy Unpacked event. At the same time, Samsung presented two foldables during the tech showcase presentation.
Going back to the same-day repair, the option only means that you will be legible for an on-the-spot repair, ditching the unit swapping in the process. It's important to note that several repairs will be finished on the same day. Of course, you need to have an AT&T account for quality, not to mention that it should be under Samsung's Standard Limited Warranty.
At the time, the service is exclusive to AT&T customers. There's no announcement if Samsung will work with other telecom companies such as T-Mobile and Verizon. We might see this partnership in the future.
Read Also: New Next Up Anytime Add-On to Roll Out on All AT&T's Wireless Plans Next Month
