AT&T hackers obtained data containing six months of call and text interactions of nearly all of its customers, the company said Friday.
The data obtained by the hackers included records of calls and texts between approximately May 1 and Oct. 31, 2022, and on Jan. 2, 2023, AT&T said in an SEC filing on Friday, where it added that it has closed off the access point the hackers used.
AT&T is working with law enforcement and at least one person has been apprehended, AT&T said. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is part of investigations, the commission confirmed.
From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance
Be a smarter, better informed investor.
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
What to do if you're an AT&T customer
While a hack of this scale can sound alarming, there is some promising information and also some steps you can take.
First, it's important to note that AT&T said the hacked data does not include "content of calls or texts, personal information such as Social Security numbers, dates of birth, or other personally identifiable information."
Rather, the hacked data only includes "records of calls and text," but that does extend to "nearly all of AT&T's wireless customers." The company added that the hacked data doesn't include or link itself to customers' names, but names can be linked to telephone numbers through other research means.
If you are wondering if you were impacted, AT&T said it will provide notice to current and former customers, so you should keep an eye out for that. If you're a customer with questions, you can call AT&T wireless customer service at 1-800-331-0500.
Although personal information was not part of this hack, you may still be worried about your security. With that in mind, there are some steps you can take. For example, if you're an AT&T user, updating your passcode via the myAT&T Profile page is a way to protect your account.
You may also want to change the passwords on other key accounts, like with your banking and investing institutions or your email. This is a simple way to add a safety measure to your personal information, whether there was a recent hack or not. You can also use safe password managers, like 1Password, to build secure passwords for you.
After a hack disclosed in March, AT&T encouraged customers to monitor their account activity and credit reports, which is another smart move to protect yourself on a regular basis. At the time, AT&T recommended setting up free fraud alerts from credit bureaus Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. FreeCreditReport.com provides, as the URL suggests, free credit reports you can review.
Kiplinger experts also recommend seven smart moves to prevent identity theft, including securing your personal devices, safeguarding your Social Security number and using strong, diverse passwords.
More woes for AT&T users
AT&T previously disclosed a data breach in March following a release of customer data on the dark web in the weeks prior. AT&T determined the data was from 2019 or earlier and impacted 7.6 million current account holders and 65.4 million former account holders.
In that case, personal information of users, such as Social Security numbers, email addresses, mailing addresses, AT&T account numbers, phone numbers and more were obtained in the beach, AT&T said.
The company added that those impacted by the breach would be contacted by AT&T by mail or email and offer complimentary identity theft and credit monitoring services.
If you find yourself looking for a new wireless provider in the wake of these breaches, you can also reduce your monthly bill by selecting a smaller one. While there are some trade-offs by going smaller, Kiplinger contributor Ashlyn Brooks says these eight good value mobile companies are worth your consideration.
Related Content
- Riskiest Places to Give Your Social Security Number
- Where to Put Safe Money Today
- How Much Umbrella Insurance Do I Need?
-
I’m 64, Retired, and Want to Invest $400,000 of My $2.4 Million Portfolio in a Winery Startup. Am I Crazy?We ask wealth advisers to weigh in on the wine business and how to finance a retirement startup.
-
Sharpening Your Focus: 'Hone' Authors on How Leaders Can Keep Their Businesses on TrackBusiness owners like this chef could learn valuable lessons from 'Hone,' including how caving in to pressure to quickly expand could lead to business 'drift.'
-
From Vision to Value: A Blueprint for Helping to Build Your Advisory PracticeAs a financial professional, you can draw lessons from Advisors Excel's journey to find ideas, strategies and inspiration for growing your own advisory business.
-
The Best (and Worst) Airlines for Flight Delays and CancellationsWhich airlines should you book and which should you avoid if you want to make it to your destination on time?
-
How to Read a Company's Balance Sheet Like a Stock ProKnowing how to read this financial statement can help you separate strong companies from struggling ones.
-
How to Choose the Best Charities to Donate ToWhile you set your giving strategy, think about your values, and select organizations that will put your contributions to good use.
-
Serving the HNW Market: How Financial Advisers Can Break Through and Deliver Lasting ValueFinancial advisers have a significant opportunity to serve high-net-worth clients by elevating their capabilities, delivering comprehensive planning, building diverse teams and prioritizing family wealth education.
-
Don't Just Sell, Connect: How Financial Advisers Can Ignite Their Sales GrowthAvoid complacency and embrace small, consistent improvements to optimize your sales process and results.
