Cybersecurity
Hacker Says AT&T Paid About $400,000 to Erase Sensitive Data
- Analysis shows payment a month after AT&T learned of breach
- Records aren’t believed to have been made public, AT&T said
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A hacker who claims to have stolen sensitive call and text logs from AT&T Inc. said they were paid about $400,000 to erase the data trove.
An analysis of a Bitcoin wallet address provided by the hacker shows a transaction in mid-May that analysts say aligns with an extortion payment. A person familiar with the ransomware negotiations, who asked not to be named to discuss confidential matters, confirmed the payment from AT&T to the hacker. Whether AT&T used an intermediary to pay hackers wasn’t immediately clear.