AT&T Investigating Data Breach Affecting Millions of Customers

Telecom giant AT&T announced on Saturday that it is probing a data breach disclosed on the “dark web” roughly two weeks ago. 

Preliminary investigations reveal that the breach has impacted approximately 7.6 million current account holders and 65.4 million former account holders.

Timeline and Data Set Analysis:

AT&T reported that the compromised data set originated in 2019 or earlier. Despite the breach, the company clarified that there’s no evidence of unauthorized access to its systems resulting from this incident.

The telecom company has yet to ascertain whether the breached data originated from AT&T’s databases or one of its vendors. Despite the breach, AT&T asserted that its operations remain largely unaffected. However, the source of the data breach is still under evaluation.

Customer Communication and Mitigation Measures:

AT&T has taken proactive measures to address the impact of the breach on its customers. It has initiated contact with all affected individuals and reset passcodes for the 7.6 million current account holders. 

Additionally, the company has pledged to provide credit monitoring services wherever applicable to mitigate potential risks for affected customers.

Business Continuity and Network Coverage:

Despite the breach, AT&T assures its customers that its operations, including its expansive 5G network, which covers around 290 million people across the United States, remain operational and unaffected.

This recent data breach follows a series of challenges faced by AT&T, including a significant outage in February that disrupted calls and text messages for thousands of U.S. users. The incident prompted federal investigations into the company’s infrastructure and security protocols.