Technology
Here's what ruthless hackers stole from 110M AT&T customers
In a startling revelation, AT&T announced that it had suffered a significant data breach affecting “nearly all” of its cellular customers, as well as customers of mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) using AT&T’s wireless network and some landline customers.
The data that was taken was from May 1 through Oct. 31, 2022, with a small number of additional records from Jan. 2, 2023, which has raised serious concerns about customer privacy and data security.
Image of cybersecurity prevention expert at work. (AT&T)
Scope of the breach
The compromised data includes records of calls and text messages, along with phone numbers that AT&T or MVNO cellular numbers interacted with during the specified period. For some records, cell site identification numbers were also exposed.
AT&T emphasized that the breach did not include the content of calls or texts, personal information like Social Security numbers or dates of birth, or specific timestamps of communications.
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Illustration of cybercriminal at work. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
Cybercriminals target cloud platform
AT&T disclosed that the data was illegally downloaded from their workspace on a third-party cloud platform. The company has since taken steps to close off the illegal access point and is working with law enforcement to apprehend those responsible. At least one person has reportedly been arrested in connection with the incident.
Illustration of cybercriminal at work. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
BEWARE OF ENCRYPTED PDFS AS THE LATEST TRICK TO DELIVER MALWARE TO YOU
AT&T’s customer notification and response
AT&T plans to notify approximately 110 million current and former customers whose information was involved in the breach. The company has created a website to provide more information and resources for affected customers.
We reached out to AT&T, and a company spokesperson provided us with this statement:
“At this time, we do not believe that the data is publicly available. Our top priority, as always, is our customers. We will provide notice to current and former customers whose information was involved along with resources to help protect their information. We sincerely regret this incident occurred and remain committed to protecting the information in our care.”
Delayed disclosure and national security concerns
Interestingly, AT&T, in cooperation with the FBI and the Department of Justice, delayed notifying the public about the breach on two occasions, citing “potential risks to national security and/or public safety.” For its part, AT&T explained that the delayed disclosure was a result of its ongoing collaboration with law enforcement during their investigation into the breach. This decision highlights the complex interplay between corporate responsibility, law enforcement, and national security considerations in cybersecurity incidents.
Recent history of AT&T data breaches
This incident marks the second significant security breach for AT&T in 2024. In March, the company was forced to reset the account passcodes of approximately 7.6 million customers after a cache of customer account information, including encrypted passcodes, was published on a cybercrime forum.
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AT&T took this precautionary action after a security researcher warned that the encrypted passcodes could be easily decrypted, potentially compromising customer accounts. This earlier breach affected roughly 70 million past or present customers and reportedly included sensitive information such as Social Security numbers and full names.
Illustration of cybercriminal at work. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
Broader implications for data security
This latest incident is part of a larger trend of data breaches targeting cloud platforms. AT&T’s breach has been linked to a series of data thefts from Snowflake, a cloud data giant, which has affected several other companies as well. The breach underscores the ongoing challenges in securing sensitive data stored in cloud environments and the need for robust cybersecurity measures.
As investigations continue and more details emerge, this incident serves as a stark reminder of the persistent threats to data security in our increasingly connected world. It also raises questions about the adequacy of current data protection practices and the need for stronger regulations to safeguard consumer information.
HOW TO REMOVE YOUR PRIVATE DATA FROM THE INTERNET
Image emphasizing security. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
26 BILLION REASONS TO PROTECT YOURSELF AFTER A MASSIVE DATA LEAK IS EXPOSED
How to protect yourself from threats targeting you
You should take immediate action to minimize the damage. Here are some steps that you can follow:
1. Change your passwords
If hackers have recorded your passwords, they could access your online accounts and steal your data or money. ON ANOTHER DEVICE (i.e., your laptop or desktop), you should change your passwords for all your important accounts, such as email, banking, social media, etc. You want to do this on another device so that the hacker isn’t recording you setting up your new password on your hacked device. And you should also use strong and unique passwords that are hard to guess or crack. You can also use a password manager to generate and store your passwords securely.
2. Enable two-factor authentication
You’ll want to activate two-factor authentication for an extra layer of security.
3. Monitor your accounts and transactions
You should check your online accounts and transactions regularly for any suspicious or unauthorized activity. If you notice anything unusual, immediately report it to the service provider or authorities. You should also review your credit reports and scores to see if there are any signs of identity theft or fraud.
4. Contact your bank and credit card companies
If hackers have obtained your bank or credit card information, they could use it to make purchases or withdrawals without your consent. You should inform your bank and credit card companies of the situation. They can help you freeze or cancel your cards, dispute any fraudulent charges and issue new cards for you.
You should also contact one of the three major credit reporting agencies (Equifax, Experian or TransUnion) and request a fraud alert to be placed on your credit file. This will make it more difficult for identity thieves to open new accounts in your name without verification. You can even freeze your credit, if need be.
5. Invest in personal data removal services
While no service promises to remove all your data from the internet, having a removal service is invaluable, especially after a data breach. These services can help you mitigate the potential damage by ensuring your compromised information is continuously monitored and systematically removed from hundreds of sites. This ongoing process reduces the risk of identity theft, fraud, and other malicious activities, providing an additional layer of security and peace of mind. Remove your personal data from the internet with my top picks here.
6. Use identity theft protection
Identity Theft protection companies can monitor personal information like your home title, Social Security number (SSN), phone number and email address and alert you if it is being used to open an account. They can also assist you in freezing your bank and credit card accounts to prevent further unauthorized use by criminals.
One of the best parts of using an identity theft protection company is that it could include identity theft insurance of up to $1 million to cover losses and legal fees and a white-glove fraud resolution team where a U.S.-based case manager helps you recover any losses. See my tips and best picks on how to protect yourself from identity theft.
7. Alert your contacts
If hackers have accessed your email or social media accounts, they could use them to send spam or phishing messages to your contacts. They could also impersonate you and ask for money or personal information. You should alert your contacts and warn them not to open or respond to any messages from you that seem suspicious or unusual.
WHAT TO DO IF YOUR BANK ACCOUNT IS HACKED
Kurt’s key takeaways
The AT&T data breach is another wake-up call for consumers and corporations in our digital age. It underscores the critical need for enhanced cybersecurity measures, particularly in cloud-based systems where vast amounts of sensitive data are stored. As technology evolves, so too must our approach to data protection. This incident should prompt a broader discussion about the balance between technological advancement, user privacy and national security.
It’s also another reminder that we cannot rely on others and need to make ourselves resilient against attacks that are only getting more frequent and destructive. If you do not use tools to enhance your privacy and security, including strong antivirus protection on your iPhone, Android, PC and Mac, use a VPN to insulate your privacy, and actively remove your personal data from the internet, then you are asking for trouble.
In light of this breach, what measures do you think telecom companies should implement to better protect customer data? Should we have been notified of this huge breach earlier than 3 months after the fact? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact
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Technology
Here’s your first look at Kratos in Amazon’s God of War show
Amazon has slowly been teasing out casting details for its live-action adaptation of God of War, and now we have our first look at the show. It’s a single image but a notable one showing protagonist Kratos and his son Atreus. The characters are played by Ryan Hurst and Callum Vinson, respectively, and they look relatively close to their video game counterparts.
There aren’t a lot of other details about the show just yet, but this is Amazon’s official description:
The God of War series storyline follows father and son Kratos and Atreus as they embark on a journey to spread the ashes of their wife and mother, Faye. Through their adventures, Kratos tries to teach his son to be a better god, while Atreus tries to teach his father how to be a better human.
That sounds a lot like the recent soft reboot of the franchise, which started with 2018’s God of War and continued through Ragnarök in 2022. For the Amazon series, Ronald D. Moore, best-known for his work on For All Mankind and Battlestar Galactica, will serve as showrunner. The rest of the cast includes: Mandy Patinkin (Odin), Ed Skrein (Baldur), Max Parker (Heimdall), Ólafur Darri Ólafsson (Thor), Teresa Palmer (Sif), Alastair Duncan (Mimir), Jeff Gulka (Sindri), and Danny Woodburn (Brok).
While production is underway on the God of War series, there’s no word on when it might start streaming.
Technology
300,000 Chrome users hit by fake AI extensions
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Your web browser may feel like a safe place, especially when you install helpful tools that promise to make your life easier. But security researchers have uncovered a dangerous campaign in which more than 300,000 people installed Chrome extensions pretending to be artificial intelligence (AI) assistants. Instead of helping, these fake tools secretly collect sensitive information like your emails, passwords and browsing activity.
They used familiar names like ChatGPT, Gemini and AI Assistant. If you use Chrome and have installed any AI-related extension, your personal information may already be exposed. Even worse, some of these malicious extensions are still available today, putting more people at risk without their knowing.
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More than 300,000 Chrome users installed fake AI extensions that secretly harvested sensitive data. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
What you need to know about fake AI extensions
Security researchers at browser security company LayerX discovered a large campaign involving 30 malicious Chrome extensions disguised as AI-powered assistants (via BleepingComputer). Together, these extensions were installed more than 300,000 times by unsuspecting users.
Some of the most popular extensions included names like AI Sidebar with 70,000 users, AI Assistant with 60,000 users, ChatGPT Translate with 30,000 users, and Google Gemini with 10,000 users. Another extension called Gemini AI Sidebar had 80,000 users before it was removed.
These extensions were distributed through the official Chrome Web Store, which made them appear legitimate and trustworthy. Even more concerning, researchers found that many of these extensions were connected to the same malicious server, showing they were part of a coordinated effort.
While some extensions have since been removed, others remain available. This means new users could still unknowingly install them and expose their personal data. Here’s the list of the affected extensions:
- AI Assistant
- Llama
- Gemini AI Sidebar
- AI Sidebar
- ChatGPT Sidebar
- Grok
- Asking ChatGPT
- ChatGBT
- Chat Bot GPT
- Grok Chatbot
- Chat With Gemini
- XAI
- Google Gemini
- Ask Gemini
- AI Letter Generator
- AI Message Generator
- AI Translator
- AI For Translation
- AI Cover Letter Generator
- AI Image Generator ChatGPT
- Ai Wallpaper Generator
- Ai Picture Generator
- DeepSeek Download
- AI Email Writer
- Email Generator AI
- DeepSeek Chat
- ChatGPT Picture Generator
- ChatGPT Translate
- AI GPT
- ChatGPT Translation
- ChatGPT for Gmail
FAKE AI CHAT RESULTS ARE SPREADING DANGEROUS MAC MALWARE
These malicious tools were listed in the official Chrome Web Store, making them appear legitimate and trustworthy. (LayerX)
How the fake AI Chrome extension attack works
These fake extensions pretend to offer helpful AI features, such as translating text, summarizing emails, or acting as an AI assistant. But behind the scenes, they quietly monitor what you are doing online.
Once installed, the extension gains permission to view and interact with the websites you visit. This allows it to read the contents of web pages, including login screens where you enter your username and password.
In some cases, the extensions specifically targeted Gmail. They could read your email messages directly from your browser, including emails you received and even drafts you were still writing. This means attackers could access private conversations, financial information and sensitive personal details.
The extensions then sent this information to servers controlled by the attackers. Because they loaded content remotely, the attackers could change their behavior at any time without needing to update the extension.
Some versions could also activate voice features through your browser. This could potentially capture spoken conversations near your device and send transcripts back to the attackers.
If you installed one of these extensions, attackers may already have access to extremely sensitive information. This includes your email content, login credentials, browsing habits and possibly even voice recordings.
We reached out to Google for comment, and a spokesperson told CyberGuy that the company “can confirm that the extensions from this report have all been removed from the Google Web Store.”
BROWSER EXTENSION MALWARE INFECTED 8.8M USERS IN DARKSPECTRE ATTACK
Once installed, the extensions could read emails, capture passwords, monitor browsing activity and send the data to attacker-controlled servers. (Bildquelle/ullstein bild via Getty Images)
7 ways you can protect yourself from malicious Chrome extensions
If you have ever installed an AI-related Chrome extension, taking a few simple precautions now can help protect your accounts and prevent further damage.
1) Remove any suspicious or unused browser extensions
On a Windows PC or Mac, open Chrome and type chrome://extensions into the address bar. Review every extension listed. If you see anything unfamiliar, especially AI assistants you don’t remember installing, click “Remove” immediately. Malicious extensions depend on going unnoticed. Removing them stops further data collection and cuts off the attacker’s access to your information.
2) Change your passwords
If you installed any suspicious extension, assume your passwords may be compromised. Start by changing your email password first, since email controls access to most other accounts. Then update passwords for banking, shopping and social media accounts. This prevents attackers from using stolen credentials to break into your accounts.
3) Use a password manager to create and protect strong passwords
A password manager generates unique, complex passwords for each account and stores them securely. This prevents attackers from accessing multiple accounts if one password is stolen. Password managers also alert you if your login credentials appear in known data breaches, helping you respond quickly and protect your identity. Check out the best expert-reviewed password managers of 2026 at Cyberguy.com.
4) Install strong antivirus software and keep it active
Good antivirus software can detect malicious browser extensions, spyware, and other hidden threats. It scans your system for suspicious activity and blocks harmful programs before they can steal your information. This adds an important layer of protection that works continuously in the background to keep your device safe. Get my picks for the best 2026 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices at Cyberguy.com.
5) Use an identity theft protection service
Identity theft protection services monitor your personal data, including email addresses, financial accounts, and Social Security numbers, for signs of misuse. If criminals try to open accounts or commit fraud using your information, you receive alerts quickly. Early detection allows you to act fast and limit financial and personal damage. See my tips and best picks on how to protect yourself from identity theft at Cyberguy.com.
6) Keep your browser and computer fully updated
Software updates fix security vulnerabilities that attackers exploit. Enable automatic updates for Chrome and your operating system so you always have the latest protections. These updates strengthen your defenses against malicious extensions and prevent attackers from taking advantage of known weaknesses.
7) Use a personal data removal service
Personal data removal services scan data broker websites that collect and sell your personal information. They help remove your data from these sites, reducing what attackers can find and use against you. Less exposed information means fewer opportunities for criminals to target you with scams, identity theft or phishing attacks.
Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com.
Get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web: Cyberguy.com.
Kurt’s key takeaway
Even tools designed to make your life easier can become tools for cybercriminals. Malicious extensions often hide behind trusted names and convincing features, making them difficult to spot. You can significantly reduce your risk by reviewing your browser extensions regularly, removing anything suspicious and using protective tools like password managers and strong antivirus software.
Have you checked your browser extensions recently? Let us know your thoughts by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.
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Technology
Anthropic refuses Pentagon’s new terms, standing firm on lethal autonomous weapons and mass surveillance
Less than 24 hours before the deadline in an ultimatum issued by the Pentagon, Anthropic has refused the Department of Defense’s demands for unrestricted access to its AI.
It’s the culmination of a dramatic exchange of public statements, social media posts, and behind-the-scenes negotiations, coming down to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s desire to renegotiate all AI labs’ current contracts with the military. But Anthropic, so far, has refused to back down from its two current red lines: no mass surveillance of Americans, and no lethal autonomous weapons (or weapons with license to kill targets with no human oversight whatsoever). OpenAI and xAI had reportedly already agreed to the new terms, while Anthropic’s refusal had led to CEO Dario Amodei being summoned to the White House this week for a meeting with Hegseth himself, in which the Secretary reportedly issued an ultimatum to the CEO to back down by the end of business day on Friday or else.
In a statement late Thursday, Amodei wrote, “I believe deeply in the existential importance of using AI to defend the United States and other democracies, and to defeat our autocratic adversaries. Anthropic has therefore worked proactively to deploy our models to the Department of War and the intelligence community.”
He added that the company has “never raised objections to particular military operations nor attempted to limit use of our technology in an ad hoc manner” but that in a “narrow set of cases, we believe AI can undermine, rather than defend, democratic values” — going on to specifically mention mass domestic surveillance and fully autonomous weapons. (Amodei mentioned that “partial autonomous weapons … are vital to the defense of democracy” and that fully autonomous weapons may eventually “prove critical for our national defense,” but that “today, frontier AI systems are simply not reliable enough to power fully autonomous weapons.” He did not rule out Anthropic acquiescing to the military’s use of fully autonomous weapons in the future but mentioned that they were not ready now.)
The Pentagon had already reportedly asked major defense contractors to assess their dependence on Anthropic’s Claude, which could be seen as the first step to designating the company a “supply chain risk” – a public threat that the Pentagon had made recently (and a classification usually reserved for threats to national security). The Pentagon was also reportedly considering invoking the Defense Production Act to make Anthropic comply.
Amodei wrote in his statement that the Pentagon’s “threats do not change our position: we cannot in good conscience accede to their request.” He also wrote that “should the Department choose to offboard Anthropic, we will work to enable a smooth transition to another provider, avoiding any disruption to ongoing military planning, operations, or other critical missions. Our models will be available on the expansive terms we have proposed for as long as required.”
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