AT&T provides details on illegally downloaded customer data

In April, AT&T learned that customer data was illegally downloaded from its workspace on a third-party cloud platform. The company launched an investigation and engaged cybersecurity experts to understand the nature and scope of the criminal activity. AT&T has taken steps to close off the illegal access point. The company is working with law enforcement in its efforts to arrest those involved in the incident. The company said, “We understand that at least one person has been apprehended. Based on our investigation, the compromised data includes files containing AT&T records of calls and texts of nearly all of AT&T’s cellular customers, customers of mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) using AT&T’s wireless network, as well as AT&T’s landline customers who interacted with those cellular numbers between May 1, 2022 – October 31, 2022. The compromised data also includes records from January 2, 2023, for a very small number of customers. The records identify the telephone numbers an AT&T or MVNO cellular number interacted with during these periods. For a subset of records, one or more cell site identification number(s) associated with the interactions are also included. The data does not contain the content of calls or texts, personal information such as Social Security numbers, dates of birth, or other personally identifiable information. It also does not include some typical information you see in your usage details, such as the time stamp of calls or texts. While the data does not include customer names, there are often ways, using publicly available online tools, to find the name associated with a specific telephone number. At this time, we do not believe that the data is publicly available.”