Hackers who breached AT&T's systems may have handed criminals a roadmap to FBI informants, stealing call logs that could unravel investigations and jeopardize lives, according to alarming new details revealed Thursday.
FBI officials have warned that last year's AT&T system breach likely led to the theft of months' worth of call and text records tied to federal agents, raising concerns about the safety of confidential informants, Bloomberg News reported.
The hack, which reportedly affected all FBI devices using AT&T's public safety service, exposed agents' phone numbers and the numbers they contacted. Although the breach didn't reveal the content of communications, officials fear that the stolen data could be used to identify investigators' sources, according to a document reviewed by Bloomberg and interviews with current and former law enforcement officials.
AT&T, which suffered a major hacking incident in April 2022, disclosed in July that the attack had compromised data from approximately 109 million customer accounts. The stolen records included detailed logs of calls and texts from that year, underscoring the breach's massive scale.
In response, the FBI has launched urgent measures to protect its informants.
"The FBI has a solemn responsibility to protect the identity and safety of confidential human sources, who provide information every day that keeps the American people safe, often at risk to themselves," an FBI spokesperson told Reuters.
The agency emphasized its commitment to safeguarding "any individual who contacts the FBI and provides information," reiterating the critical importance of maintaining trust and confidentiality.
