AT&T Resets Millions of Customer Passcodes After Data Leak

Security Breach and Response

Phone giant AT&T has taken action to reset millions of customer account passcodes following a significant data breach where a vast amount of AT&T customer records were exposed online earlier this month, TechCrunch has exclusively learned.

The U.S. telco giant initiated the passcode mass-reset after being informed that the leaked data included encrypted passcodes that could potentially grant access to AT&T customer accounts.

Investigation and Findings

A security researcher who examined the leaked data revealed that the encrypted account passcodes were relatively easy to decipher. This discovery alert AT&T about the security risk.

In response, AT&T launched a thorough investigation with the support of internal and external cybersecurity experts. Preliminary analysis indicates that the leaked data set likely dates back to 2019 or earlier, affecting around 7.6 million current AT&T account holders and approximately 65.4 million former account holders.

Customer Impact and Next Steps

AT&T clarified that there is no evidence of unauthorized access to its systems resulting in data exfiltration. However, as a precautionary measure, the company reset passcodes for affected customers and is reaching out to them for further guidance on securing their accounts.

Customers are advised to follow AT&T's recommendations for enhancing account security. This incident underscores the importance of robust cybersecurity measures and ongoing vigilance in safeguarding sensitive information.

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