The hacker group allegedly responsible for stealing customer text and phone records from AT&T has claimed that the wireless company paid them $300,000 in ransom to delete the data, as reported by Wired.
According to the technology magazine, an associate of the notorious hacker group ShinyHunters, known for multiple high-profile data breaches, provided evidence of a cryptocurrency exchange that took place in May. However, experts tracking cryptocurrency transactions were unable to identify the owners of the wallets involved.
This information has not been independently verified by Scripps News, and AT&T has stated that they have no comment on the situation.
Following a data breach in April, AT&T notified federal regulators that records of calls and texts for nearly all of its customers were compromised. The company clarified that the stolen data did not include the actual content of the records or any personal information of its customers.
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ShinyHunters has claimed responsibility for stealing data from the third-party cloud database Snowflake, which is used by companies like AT&T and Ticketmaster. The group also attempted to extort Ticketmaster by threatening to release thousands of print-at-home tickets online.
AT&T has stated that they are cooperating with law enforcement to apprehend those involved in the recent cyberattack, and one person has already been arrested in connection to the breach.
“Our primary concern, as always, is the security of our customers. We will inform both current and former customers affected by the breach and provide them with the necessary resources to safeguard their information,” AT&T told Scripps News in response to inquiries about notifying impacted customers.
