AT&T, Verizon, and Lumen in Hot Seat After China Cyberattack

WASHINGTON, Oct. 13, 2024 – The bipartisan leadership of a major House committee is demanding answers from the top executives of AT&T, Verizon, and Lumen Technologies regarding two news reports that their networks were compromised by Chinese cyberattacks and caused a serious security breach.

House Energy and Commerce Letter to AT&T

We are concerned by the recent reports of a massive breach of AT&T, Verizon, and Lumen’s communications networks by Chinese hackers.1 These types of breaches are increasing in frequency and severity, and there is a growing concern regarding the cybersecurity vulnerabilities embedded in U.S. telecommunications networks. The Committee needs to understand better how this incident occurred and what steps your company is taking to prevent future service disruptions and secure your customers’ data

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"The attack appears to be geared towards intelligence collection, and Chinese hackers potentially accessed vulnerable information including court-authorized network wiretapping requests and internet traffic. This is extremely alarming for both economic and national security reasons," the lawmakers said in Oct. 10 letters to the executives that were released Friday.

Republican and Democrat leaders of the House Energy and Commerce Committee sent identical letters – which sought further information – to AT&T CEO John Stankey, Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg, and Lumen Technologies CEO Kate Johnson. The lawmakers requested a staff briefing by Oct. 18, 2024.