AT&T denies 70 million user records were stolen from its servers
AT&T denies 70 million user records were stolen from its servers
Updated with comment from AT&T.
A well-known hacker (or hackers) says they've stolen the personal data of lxx million AT&T customers, including names, addresses, Social Security numbers, phone numbers and dates of nativity.
In a statement to Bleeping Computer, however, AT&T said that it had looked into the claim and concluded that the data "does not appear to accept come from our systems."
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ShinyHunters, the hacker(due south) auctioning the data online, insists that the data is the real affair.
"It doesn't surprise me," ShinyHunters told RestorePrivacy.com. "I call up they will proceed denying until I leak everything."
If the data is real — and information technology could all the same be existent even if it didn't come from AT&T's servers — then those 70 one thousand thousand people are in dire danger of identity theft.
The stolen personal data is all an identity thief would need to open accounts in other people's names, pose as them in job applications, or get identification documents such as driver'south licenses.
RestorePrivacy said at to the lowest degree some of the data samples they had seen appeared to be real, and an unnamed security expert told Bleeping Calculator the same.
This news comes merely a few days after the revelation of a information alienation at rival phone company T-Mobile, which compromised the names, addresses, dates of nascency and Social Security numbers of at least 48 million people. T-Mobile has confirmed the incident.
Get fix to do these things
Regarding the supposed AT&T breach, we would normally advise anyone affected by such a serious incident to put fraud alerts on their files with the Big Three credit-reporting agencies Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.
We'd also inquire affected individuals to consider instituting credit freezes with the Big 3, although doing so tin can complicate getting a loan or opening new payment accounts.
If AT&T confirms a alienation of its systems, it volition offer identity theft protection to affected users. If you're one of those users, take up the company on its offer.
Simply because we don't all the same know whether this claim of an AT&T data breach is valid, it might exist premature to deed without farther data.
Credible allegations
ShinyHunters' standard mode of performance is to steal data and offering to sell it in cybercriminal marketplaces. If there are no takers, then ShinyHunters posts the data online for complimentary.
In the by couple of years, he, she or they take cleaved into databases belonging to at least xl companies, although few are household names.
ShinyHunters has unsaid that the breached companies tin sometimes purchase the information dorsum, and indeed they told RestorePrivacy that they were willing to come to such an "arrangement" with AT&T.
More chiefly, ShinyHunters' claims of data theft almost always turn out to exist true. AT&T customers should promise this merits turns out not to exist.
Tom's Guide has reached out to AT&T for comment and clarification, and we volition update this story when we receive a reply.
Update: AT&T responds
AT&T responded to our query with the same statement that was given to Bleeping Computer:
"Based on our investigation, the data that appeared in an internet chat room does non appear to accept come from our systems."
Our AT&T contact added that the company could not speculate on where the data had come from, or whether it was existent.
Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/news/possible-att-data-breach
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