AT&T is telling customers they were hacked. Protecting data has been a big fight – from companies like AT&T

This week, a major telecom company notified millions of customers about a data breach that occurred in April. The breach affected “nearly all” of the company’s cellular customers and customers of wireless providers using its network between May 1, 2022, and October 31, 2022. The stolen data, including personal information and Social Security numbers, is highly valuable to cybercriminals. While laws protecting customer data face challenges in passing, industry lobbying has influenced patchwork regulations across states. Cybersecurity experts emphasize the need for comprehensive federal privacy legislation to establish consistent protections. Telecom companies hold vast amounts of data, making them attractive targets for hackers. The lack of a comprehensive federal data privacy law and the influence of industry lobbyists have hindered stricter regulations.