Xiaomi has just given a global launch to two of its latest flagship phones, the Xiaomi 17 and 17 Ultra, along with a Leica-branded Leitzphone edition of the Ultra. There’s no sign, however, of the 17 Pro, which launched in China with an additional display mounted next to the rear cameras.
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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Copyright 2024 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.
Polymarket has been allowing people to bet on when the US would strike Iran next. Obviously, now that it’s actually happened and people have died, the prediction betting market is feeling some pressure. The site has been at the center of controversy before, including suspicions of insider trading on the Super Bowl halftime show and the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
In a statement posted on its site, Polymarket defended its decision to allow betting on the potential start of a war, saying that it was an “invaluable” source of news and answers, before taking shots at traditional media and Elon Musk’s X. The statement reads:
…
Read the full story at The Verge.
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Google has officially discontinued its Dark Web Report feature, a free tool that once scanned known dark web breach dumps for personal information tied to a user’s Google account. The service delivered notifications when email addresses and other identifiers appeared in leaked datasets.
According to Google’s support page, the system ceased scanning for new dark web data Jan. 15, 2026, and the reporting function was removed entirely on Feb. 16, 2026, meaning users can no longer access the feature.
The company said the decision reflects a shift toward security tools it believes provide clearer guidance after exposure, rather than standalone scan alerts.
If you previously relied on the free dark web scan as an early warning signal for leaked data, this change removes one of your sources.
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Google officially ended its Dark Web Report tool, removing free breach alerts tied to user accounts. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
So what did users really lose?
Google’s Dark Web Report acted as a basic exposure scanner. It checked whether personal information linked to a Google account had surfaced in known breach collections circulating on the dark web.
When a match is found, users receive a notification identifying which type of data appeared in a leak. Depending on the data breach, that could include an email address, phone number, date of birth or other identifying details commonly harvested during large-scale hacks.
The report did not display stolen credentials or provide access to the leaked database itself. It also did not trace the origin of the compromise beyond referencing the breached service when available.
After an alert was issued, the next steps were left to the user. Google recommended actions such as changing passwords, enabling stronger authentication methods and reviewing account security settings. With the tool now removed, that automated breach check tied directly to a Google account is no longer available.
What you still have access to
Google directs users to its Security Checkup, a dashboard that scans your account for weak settings and unusual sign-in activity.
Its built-in Password Manager includes Password Checkup, which scans saved credentials against known breach databases and prompts you to change exposed passwords. Google also supports passkeys and two-factor verification to lock down account access.
The Results About You tool lets users search for personal information in Google Search and submit removal requests for certain publicly indexed details.
149 MILLION PASSWORDS EXPOSED IN MASSIVE CREDENTIAL LEAK
Without the automatic scan, users must now check for leaked data using other security tools. (iStock)
Alerts don’t always mean protection
Once personal information is compromised, it often ends up far beyond the breach itself. Stolen credentials and identity data are regularly trafficked on underground platforms where buyers can search for information tied to real people.
The BidenCash dark web marketplace was taken down by U.S. authorities in June 2025, and the Justice Department confirmed that the platform peddled stolen personal information and credit card data.
These illicit markets operate with a level of organization not unlike legitimate online stores. Search tools and bulk data sets are up for grabs and can be used to target any online account. This makes credential stuffing easier, where attackers test leaked passwords across multiple services in hopes of barreling into your account.
A breach alert tied to a dark web scan points to a leak at one moment in time; it does not follow whether that information has been sold to third parties or used in subsequent fraud attempts. For everyday users, this means that just knowing your data appeared in a leak doesn’t help much.
THINK YOUR NEW YEAR’S PRIVACY RESET WORKED? THINK AGAIN
Stolen personal information can circulate for years, making ongoing monitoring more important than a one-time alert. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
Identity monitoring may be a better option
With Google’s scan gone, some people may consider dedicated identity protection services instead. Many of these services offer continuous monitoring of your personally identifiable information and send alerts about changes to your credit reports from all three major U.S. credit bureaus. That can include notifications about new inquiries, newly opened accounts and monthly credit score updates. Some plans also monitor a broader range of personal identifiers, such as driver’s license numbers, passport numbers and email addresses.
Beyond credit monitoring, certain services track linked bank, credit card and investment accounts for unusual activity. They may also monitor public records for changes to addresses or property titles and alert you if your information appears in those filings.
Many providers include identity theft insurance to help cover eligible out-of-pocket recovery costs. Coverage limits vary by plan and provider. Additional features often include spam call and message protection, a password manager, a virtual private network (VPN) and antivirus software.
No service can prevent every form of identity theft. However, ongoing monitoring and recovery support can make it easier to respond quickly if your information is misused.
See my tips and best picks on Best Identity Theft Protection at Cyberguy.com.
Kurt’s key takeaways
Google’s decision to drop its Dark Web Report may seem small. But it removes a tool many users relied on. For some, those alerts were the first warning that their data appeared in a breach. That automatic scan is now gone. Google still offers Security Checkup, Password Checkup, passkeys and two-step verification. However, none of them actively scan dark web breach dumps for you. Stolen data does not disappear. Criminals copy, sell and reuse it. One alert shows a single moment. Ongoing identity theft monitoring helps you stay aware over time.
Now that Google has dropped its dark web monitoring feature, will you actively check your data exposure or assume someone else is watching it for you? Let us know your thoughts by writing to us at Cyberguy.com
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Related Article
The 17 and 17 Ultra will apparently be available soon in the UK, Europe, and select other markets. The 17 — pitched as a rival to the likes of the iPhone 17 and Samsung Galaxy S26 — will cost £899 / €999 (about $1,200), while the larger and more capable Ultra starts from £1,299 / €1,499 ($1,750). The limited-edition Leitzphone will be substantially more expensive at £1,699 / €1,999 ($2,300), though it includes 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage, along with a few extra accessories.
The 17 is an extremely capable small-ish flagship, with a 6.3-inch OLED display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, and large 6,330mAh silicon-carbon battery (though sadly smaller than the 7,000mAh version launched in China). I won’t be writing a full review of the 17, but did spend a week using it as my main phone, and found that the battery cruised past the full-day mark, though wasn’t quite enough for two full days of my typical usage. That’s far better battery life than you’d find in similarly sized phones from Apple, Samsung, or Google.
The cameras impress too, with 50-megapixel sensors behind each of the four lenses, selfie included. Pound for pound, you won’t find many better camera systems in any phone this size.
1/10
The Ultra, unsurprisingly, takes things to another level. It’s much larger, with a 6.9-inch display, and weighs a hefty 218g. Despite that, the 6,000mAh is actually smaller, though I found it delivered pretty similar longevity.
The enormous camera is, as ever for Xiaomi’s Ultra phones, the highlight. There are 50-megapixel sensors for each of the main, ultrawide, and selfie cameras, with a large 1-inch-type sensor behind the primary lens. The periscope telephoto is even more impressive: 200-megapixel resolution, a large 1/1.4-inch sensor, and continuous optical zoom from 3.2x to 4.3x, the equivalent of 75-100mm. Xiaomi isn’t the first to pull off a true zoom phone — Sony’s Xperia 1 IV got there first in 2022 — but the telephoto camera here is far more capable than that phone’s, with natural bokeh and impressive performance even in low light.
The camera capabilities are supported by Xiaomi’s ongoing photography partner Leica, but it’s the pair’s Leitzphone that really emphasizes that. Slightly redesigned from the 17 Ultra Leica Edition that was released in China last December, this includes Leica branding across the hardware and software, a range of Leica filters and shooting styles, and a rotatable rear camera ring that can be used to control the zoom. It’s the first Leica Leitzphone produced by Xiaomi — after a trio of Japan-only Sharp models — and comes with additional branded accessories, including a case with a lens cap and a microfiber cleaning cloth.
Xiaomi has plenty of other announcements alongside the 17 series phones at MWC this year, including a super-slim magnetic power bank, the Pad 8 and Pad 8 Pro tablets, and a smart tag that supports both Google and Apple’s tech-tracking networks.
Photography by Dominic Preston / The Verge
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