AT&T has verified the leakage of personal information from about 73 million current and past customers to the dark web. This clarification comes after the telecoms giant first disputed that the stolen data originated on its computers.

AT&T thinks that the intrusion occurred in 2019 or before. It contains important data such as Social Security numbers, passwords, email and postal addresses, phone numbers, and birth dates. The dataset was uncovered on the dark web. As a result, it increased fears about identity misuse and scams for millions of people.

As a preventive move, AT&T has begun informing concerned customers. Apart from this, it also reset current user passcodes. Additionally, the firm also provides credit monitoring solutions to people whose confidential data has been leaked.

AT&T Data Breach

In 2021, a group of threat actors known as Shiny Hunters revealed the hacked data dump. It claimed to be selling stolen information from 73 million AT&T customers. AT&T denied the allegations at the time and claimed that no breach had occurred.

A subsequent disclosure on a hacker site included the same data acquired by Shiny Hunters. And later on, it prompted AT&T to acknowledge the intrusion.

The event has sparked concerns about AT&T's data security safeguards. Along with this, it also made a contribution to protecting data in the telecoms business. This is one of numerous breaches that affected major US telecom providers in recent years. To be precise, it illustrates the potential target that these firms provide for hackers.

AT&T's response to the intrusion has been to conduct a thorough investigation with the assistance of both in-house and outside cybersecurity experts. The best part is that it inspired customers to pay attention to their bank accounts and credit reports.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has amended its data breach reporting requirements to hold telecommunications businesses. The thing to keep in mind is that it was accountable for securing consumer information. These regulations are intended to help consumers protect themselves if their information is hacked.

As the investigation initiates, AT&T customers ought to modify their passwords, and set up fraud alerts. Besides, they should also consider blocking their credit with the three main credit agencies. It will surely enable them to safeguard against identity theft and other criminal activity.