Hackers have stolen call and text records data from “nearly all” of AT&T Wireless’ 109 million customers.
The breach occurred from May to October 2022 and was only discovered in April when the data was illegally downloaded and copied to a third-party platform.
One suspect has been arrested in connection with the incident.
The stolen data did not include the content of calls or texts but did capture the numbers contacted and the number and duration of interactions.
The Justice Department justified the delayed announcement of the hack on national security grounds.
AT&T said: “We sincerely regret this incident occurred and remain committed to protecting the information in our care.”
The company assured that its systems have been secured to prevent similar breaches and that the stolen data was not publicly available.
AT&T learned of the breach on April 14, five days after hackers began stealing the data.
“We sincerely regret this incident occurred and remain committed to protecting the information in our care”
The data theft continued until April 25.
Experts warn the stolen information could be used to identify workplaces, approximate home locations, and potential colleagues and friends.
This breach follows a previous incident where data from 2019, involving 73 million former and current AT&T customers, was stolen and placed on the “dark web” by fraudsters.
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AT&T said it would alert affected customers, who could also log into their accounts to see if their data was compromised.
The company provided a report offering a more “user-friendly” version of what was compromised.
AT&T also advised users to avoid email or text requests for personal information.
