AT&T Reports Cybersecurity Breach: Hacker Gains Access to Call Records of Majority of Wireless Customers

Money | July 12, 2024, 2:54 p.m.

In a recent disclosure by AT&T, one or more hackers have stolen records detailing the phone contacts of almost all AT&T Wireless customers, compromising sensitive consumer data. This breach includes numbers of over 100 million customers between May 1 and Oct. 31, 2022. While the stolen information does not include customer names or content of communications, it does outline the frequency and duration of interactions. With the ability to tie numbers to real names, this breach provides a roadmap for criminals to impersonate contacts and deceive victims. AT&T has not detected any public release of the data but acknowledged the arrest of one person involved. This breach affects almost all wireless customers in the U.S., potentially exposing them to criminal activity or government surveillance. The incident highlights the vulnerabilities in data security within major companies like AT&T and their cloud storage partners, such as Snowflake.