Dallas, Texas – AT&T has confirmed a data leak that exposed sensitive information of more than 7.6 million current customers and 65 million former customers. The leaked data may have included personal details such as full names, email addresses, mailing addresses, phone numbers, social security numbers, dates of birth, AT&T account numbers, and passcodes.
In response to the breach, the company has taken proactive measures by resetting the security passcodes of affected active customers. AT&T is also actively reaching out to impacted customers via email or letter to inform them about the data that was compromised and the steps being taken to address the situation. This breach comes to light as reports of the leak first emerged in 2021, showcasing the vulnerability of encrypted passcodes used by the company for security purposes.
The leak was brought to AT&T’s attention by TechCrunch, leading to the company’s acknowledgment of the breach. An analysis by a security researcher revealed that the passcodes were easily decipherable, raising concerns about the level of security in place. Despite the breach, AT&T has assured customers that the leaked data does not contain personal financial information or call history. The company is collaborating with external cybersecurity experts to investigate the matter and has not found evidence of authorized access to its systems so far.
Customers who have been impacted are advised to set up free fraud alerts with credit bureaus Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion to monitor any suspicious activity. The data leak is believed to originate from 2019 or earlier. AT&T is committed to ensuring the security and privacy of its customers’ information and is taking necessary steps to address this breach.