US telecoms giant AT&T has announced a major data leak, in which hackers gained access to practically all its customers’ mobile calls and messages over six months in 2022.
This is one of the most significant private data leaks in the telecommunication sector’s recent history.
The theft reportedly took place between 1 May and 31 October 2022. The hackers could not access the content of the calls and messages, but they could see the phone numbers that customers had contacted. This could prove extremely problematic for individuals who wish to keep their contacts private, such as politicians, activists, journalists and their sources.
AT&T also disclosed that the data of tens of millions of customers were exposed in another leak in April 2024.
