AT&T Data Breach: Were You or Your Customers Affected?

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AT&T, the world’s fourth-largest telecommunications company and the largest wireless carrier in the United States, announced on March 30, 2024, that a dataset, including some Social Security numbers and passcodes for about 7.6 million current account holders and 65.4 million former account holders, was found on the dark web.

According to a press release issued by the company, whether the leaked data originated from AT&T or one of its third-party vendors has not yet been confirmed. The source of the compromised data is still being assessed.

Here’s what you and your customers need to know.

What Information was Compromised in the Data Leak?

According to AT&T’s preliminary analysis, the leaked dataset appears to be from 2019 and earlier. The information varies by customer and account; however, the dataset consists of Social Security numbers and passcodes. Other information that may have also been compromised includes:

Full names
Email and mailing addresses
Phone numbers
Dates of birth
AT&T account numbers and passcodes

The company does not believe that personal financial information or call history was included in the compromised dataset.

How Do You or Your Customers Know If They Were Affected?

On March 30, 2024, AT&T began communicating via email and mail with current and former account holders who were impacted by the breach.

Additionally, affected customers will notice a banner at the top of their account homepage directing them to visit their FAQ page for details on how they can keep their accounts secure.

How is AT&T Helping Customers Protect Themselves?

On March 30, 2024, the company took precautionary measures and reset all 7.6 million impacted customers’ passcodes. Customers will be prompted to create a new passcode upon their next login attempt.

In addition to resetting current customer account passcodes and notifying impacted customers, AT&T stated it plans to offer “complimentary identity theft and credit monitoring services to customers” affected by the data breach. AT&T encourages customers to monitor their account activity and credit reports closely.

What You Should Know to Help Protect Yourself & Your Customers from Identity Fraud

While post-breach protection offerings are familiar resources for consumers – and often offered complimentary for a specified amount of time – consumers should be aware that cybercriminals will typically wait to use the stolen information to then commit identity fraud. While the dataset was exposed on the dark web, the leak does not mean that identity fraud has occurred. Consumers shouldn’t panic but should take the necessary precautions to help protect themselves from the negative impacts of a data breach.

Change your AT&T account password. Always use strong and unique passwords, and don’t reuse passwords across multiple platforms – especially for accounts that store sensitive personal and financial information.
Make monitoring activity on your financial and credit card accounts part of your routine.
Consider setting up free fraud alerts with the three major credit bureaus – TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax. You can also request and review your free credit report via FreeCreditReport.com.
Be on the lookout for phishing emails. In the aftermath of any data breach, it’s common for those affected to receive an influx of phishing emails supposedly from the breached organization or other trusted service providers. Read our blog for tips to help you spot a phishing attempt.
If you haven't already, sign up for a long-term identity protection service with credit and identity monitoring. Comprehensive identity monitoring services should include alerts so that if your information is detected, you can quickly assess it and work with resolution experts to minimize any damage.

Some recommended information to monitor includes:

Social Security number
Mailing addresses
Email addresses
Date of birth
Debit/credit card numbers
Bank account numbers

Why Your Organization’s Third-Party Vendors' Security Matters

In December 2023, the Federal Communications Commission updated its breach notification rules to help ensure telecommunications providers adequately safeguard sensitive customer information. According to their press release, the rules aim to “hold phone companies accountable for protecting sensitive customer information, while enabling customers to protect themselves in the event that their data is compromised.”

As federal regulations and rules are updated to better protect the end consumer, organizations of all types have a major responsibility to protect their customers’ data – if not, companies can anticipate additional fines and reputational damage.

At Iris^® Powered by Generali, security is the guiding principle for our employees, processes, technology, culture, and values, and is built into all layers of the Iris identity protection platform.

Check out our Security and Privacy Center to learn more about our security practices and commitment to providing secure, comprehensive B2B2C fraud protection and mitigation tools and services.