AT&T today notified customers that there had been an “organized and systematic” attempt to hack into their personal account information.The company sent out an email to customers informing them of an “attempt to obtain information on a number of AT&T customer accounts” but also emphasized that it did “not believe that the perpetrators of this attack obtained access” to users’ online accounts. The company said that the perpetrators had tried using “auto script” technology to “determine whether AT&T telephone numbers were linked to online AT&T accounts.” AT&T said it is now focusing its efforts on finding out who attempted the hack and what their intent was for gathering customer information.DIRTY DOZEN: Security-vulnerable smartphonesAT&T spokesman Mark Siegel says that there is no relation between the attempted hack and the three-hour wireless data service outage that hit some customers in the northeastern U.S. this morning. Rather, he says that the service outage was caused by a routing error that has since been fixed. Today’s attempted hack of AT&T user accounts marks the first major publicized hack attempt on the carrier since a hacking group called Goatse Security successfully extracted the email addresses of about 114,000 AT&T customers by exploiting vulnerabilities on the website that AT&T had set up for customers using Apple iPads. Daniel Spitler, a 26-year-old man who helped the hackers steal iPad users’ personal information, pled guilty to fraud and hacking charges earlier this year.Read more about wide area network in Network World’s Wide Area Network section. Related content feature Top cybersecurity M&A deals for 2023 Fears of recession, rising interest rates, mass tech layoffs, and conservative spending trends are likely to make dealmakers cautious, but an ever-increasing need to defend against bigger and faster attacks will likely keep M&A activity steady in By CSO Staff Sep 22, 2023 24 mins Mergers and Acquisitions Mergers and Acquisitions Mergers and Acquisitions brandpost Unmasking ransomware threat clusters: Why it matters to defenders Similar patterns of behavior among ransomware treat groups can help security teams better understand and prepare for attacks By Joan Goodchild Sep 21, 2023 3 mins Cybercrime news analysis China’s offensive cyber operations support “soft power” agenda in Africa Researchers track Chinese cyber espionage intrusions targeting African industrial sectors. By Michael Hill Sep 21, 2023 5 mins Advanced Persistent Threats Cyberattacks Critical Infrastructure brandpost Proactive OT security requires visibility + prevention You cannot protect your operation by simply watching and waiting. It is essential to have a defense-in-depth approach. By Austen Byers Sep 21, 2023 4 mins Security Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe