Cyber news, tools & one smart career path.
5 min read
Quick Reality Check
AT&T Customers Could Claim Up to $7,500 After $177M Data Breach Settlement
What happened:
AT&T has agreed to a $177 million settlement after two major data breaches. The first happened in March 2024 and exposed sensitive information, including Social Security numbers, for about 73 million current and former customers. The second, revealed in July 2024, involved the leak of call and text records from nearly all customers between May and October 2022. If you were affected by both breaches, you could be eligible for up to $7,500 but you’ll need to file your claim by November 18, 2025.
Why it matters:
This case underscores how telecom companies remain prime cyberattack targets (hello, Salt Typhoon), given the sensitive personal and communication data they handle. For customers, it’s a reminder of the real financial impact of data breaches and the importance of filing claims to protect your rights.
Read more, here.
60-Second Protection Fix
AT&T’s settlement over its 2024 data breaches includes free monitoring for affected customers (no shock there).
What you can do:
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Check your inbox for an email from attsettlement@e.emailksa.com or call Kroll Settlement Administration at (833) 890-4930.
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File your claim here by Nov. 18, 2025 to receive up to $7,500 (depending on which breaches impacted you).
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If you want to opt out or object to the settlement, you must do so by Oct. 17, 2025.
But you don’t need to wait for a breach to get protection. Services like Credit Karma and Credit Sesame offer free credit monitoring with alerts when something changes.
Many banks and credit cards also provide free monitoring as a built-in perk, so it’s worth checking your online account dashboard.
Exploring a New Career? Check Out Security Architecture (aka “The Blueprint Designers”)
When AT&T agreed to a $177 million settlement after two major data breaches, it showed how costly weak or misaligned security frameworks can be. Security Architects are the pros who design the blueprint, making sure controls are built into IT systems and aligned with business objectives to prevent these kinds of failures.
Learn more about Security Architecture in my Free Intro Course: Cyber Paths 101
Must-Have Tool: 1Password
Use a password manager like 1Password to avoid reusing credentials across platforms. This helps protect your AT&T account from credential-stuffing or phishing attacks, since a strong, unique password. Combined with MFA makes it much harder for attackers to break in.
Try it here.
What You Missed This Week
Hackers are continuing to target Gmail users and take over their accounts. Watch my video to learn how to protect yourself. Click on the image or watch it here.
What We're Hearing From You!
"Been in tech and now cyber for over 20 years. Still have a majority of “all male meetings.” @jforsberg713
I agree with Jennifer, the status quo needs to change. I would love to know what you, as a reader, think will truly help bring more women into tech and cyber? I’m all ears!
Let’s keep building together!
Stay protected,
Cybersecurity Girl
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