News > Geek > AT&T Customer Data Exposed After Weekend Attack

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WEDNESDAY AUGUST 30 2006 11:30 AM

AT&T Customer Data Exposed After Weekend Attack

Submitted by WilWheaton

AT&T's motto is "Your world, delivered." For the last year, they've been delivering their customers' conversations and communication data to the NSA, and over the weekend the company inadvertently delivered about 19,000 customer's credit card and other personal data to a group of computer hackers.

The information that was illegally accessed includes credit card numbers, AT&T said in a statement. The cyberattack affects about 19,000 customers who purchased equipment for high-speed DSL Internet connections through AT&T's Web site, the company said.

According to the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, dating back to 2005 over 90 million customers have had their information exposed (not just by AT&T, but by ChoicePoint, AOL, and others), but in this instance, AT&T want you to know that, like, they're totally on it, man.

AT&T is offering to pay for credit monitoring services for customers whose accounts have been impacted because they could be at risk of identity fraud. The company also has made available a toll-free number to affected customers to call for more information.

The Public Relations office at AT&T curiously leaves out the most obvious way they can help their customers: just pick up any phone and say, "Hey, NSA, can you help me find the guy who stole my personal data over the weekend? Thanks!"

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Comments

theslant

USA

January 2003

AUG 30, 2006 11:38 AM

fuck.

something told me I should've gone with cable.

backstabbing and incompentant fuckers.

AceT

Portland, OR

April 2004

AUG 30, 2006 11:59 AM

In the interest of full disclosure, every telco gave up information to the NSA, except Qwest.

Phoenixgirl

I'm lost

May 2006

AUG 30, 2006 12:09 PM

F****ing brilliant........stupid AT&T

wickedgrin

Birmingham, AL

October 2004

AUG 30, 2006 12:42 PM

they could be at risk of identity fraud.

That's the PR dept. at work.
Identity fraud sounds much less scary than identity theft.

Willowmoon

Des Moines, IA

August 2004

AUG 30, 2006 02:14 PM

AndyM said:
In the interest of full disclosure, every telco gave up information to the NSA, except Qwest.

DOH!!! I have AT&T for dial up internet and Qwest for my telephone services..

Eternalxile

Irving, TX

March 2003

AUG 30, 2006 02:17 PM

wickedgrin said:

they could be at risk of identity fraud.

That's the PR dept. at work.
Identity fraud sounds much less scary than identity theft.

Ive noticed lately that alot more companies are using fraud as opposed to theft.

mistressmissy

Grand Rapids, MI

March 2003

AUG 30, 2006 02:23 PM

Phew! good thing our last day was Friday!

MschfMayhemSoap

Phoenix, AZ

April 2006

AUG 30, 2006 02:25 PM

Cingular swallowed ATT celluar service years ago. Should I be worried for my Go phone?

Marisa_DiMattia

NEWSWIRE

I'm lost

AUG 30, 2006 04:17 PM

They're having LOTS of trouble with securing personal data. Last week they filed a suit against 25 "John Does" for illegally accessing the calling info 2,500 customers. Not a huge amount of people, but if you're one of them, you're gonna be pissed.

Class action against AT&T?

Hitting their pockets may actually make them more careful about protecting customers' personal data.