AT&T has agreed to pay $13 million in fines following a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) investigation into a data breach that compromised information from 8.9 million customers. The breach, which occurred between 2015 and 2017 through a cloud vendor, exposed customer data, including account balances and the number of lines on their accounts. More sensitive details like Social Security numbers and credit card information were not involved.
The FCC concluded that AT&T failed to properly secure its customers’ data, leading to the breach. As part of the settlement, AT&T has also committed to improving its data management practices to ensure that such breaches don’t happen again. The company will focus on tightening its oversight of third-party vendors that handle customer information.
Although AT&T assured that its internal systems were not compromised during the breach, the company acknowledged the need for stronger security measures. Moving forward, AT&T plans to implement stricter controls over how customer data is managed, particularly by its vendors.
FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel stressed that companies like AT&T must take their responsibility to protect consumer data seriously in the digital age. This settlement serves as a wake-up call for telecom companies to prioritize data security.
With the $13 million fine, AT&T aims to settle the issue and restore trust with its customers by implementing enhanced data protection measures to safeguard their personal information moving forward.
