Adrian Johnson
TLDR:
- Telecom giant Frontier Communications reported a cyberattack on April 14, leading to the shutdown of some systems.
- The company believes it has contained the incident and is in the process of restoring normal business operations.
Frontier Communications, a Texas-based telecommunications company, reported a cyberattack to the Securities and Exchange Commission, stating that it detected unauthorized access to its IT systems on April 14. The company began implementing “containment measures” by shutting down certain systems, causing operational disruption. The incident is believed to be the work of a cybercrime group that gained access to personally identifiable information. Despite the disruption, the company does not think the incident will materially impact its financial condition or results of operations. Investigations are ongoing, and cybersecurity experts have been hired to assist with the incident. Law enforcement agencies have also been notified. No hacking group has claimed responsibility for the incident as of Thursday afternoon.
Telecommunication companies have been increasingly targeted by cybercriminals and nation-states, with AT&T being one recent victim of a data breach affecting over 51 million people. The incident at Frontier Communications underscores the vulnerability of consumer data-rich companies to cyberattacks. The Federal Communications Commission updated its data breach rules recently to adapt to the evolving cybersecurity landscape. The FCC Chairwoman emphasized the importance of regulating cybersecurity incidents in the telecommunication industry due to the significant amount of data these companies possess about individuals.
