TECH - AT&T Reportedly Pays Hacker About $400K To Wipe Stolen Data Security Expert Says It Was 'Drop In The Ocean' For The Company: Here's Why | Benzinga
Telecom giant AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) allegedly paid a hacker around $400,000 to delete sensitive data they are said to have stolen.
What Happened: A hacker who allegedly accessed sensitive call and text logs from AT&T said they received about $400,000 to delete the data cache, reported Bloomberg.
A Bitcoin wallet address provided by the hacker showed a transaction in mid-May that corresponds with an extortion payment. A source familiar with the ransomware negotiations confirmed the payment from AT&T to the hacker.
The hacker reportedly provided a video showing them deleting the data to demonstrate that they had fulfilled their agreement with AT&T. However, the authenticity of the video is still uncertain.