“AT&T has assured that the data is not publicly available at this time,” the company said. They will notify current and former customers whose information was involved in the breach.
BlackCloak Review of Cyberattack on AT&T
Chris Pierson, CEO of cybersecurity firm BlackCloak, emphasized that this incident poses more of a national security threat than a risk to individual consumers. Phone numbers can be traced back to individuals using data broker records, potentially exposing communication networks for people in sensitive national security roles.
“The most likely beneficiary of this specific data are foreign nation states or foreign actors,” Pierson said.
AT&T holds contracts to provide communications services to several federal agencies, including the State Department, Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Defense. The company did not immediately comment on how federal customers’ phone logs may have been affected by the breach.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced on social media that it is investigating the breach and coordinating with law enforcement agencies.
Other Attacks on AT&T
This cyberattack is not an isolated incident for AT&T. In March, the company had to reset the passcodes of 7.6 million customers after discovering a breach that affected roughly 70 million past and present customers. That breach, which compromised customer data including Social Security numbers and full names, resulted in the data being released on the dark web.
