AT&T’s Bold Move: Paying Hackers Over $300K for Data Deletion

In a surprising turn of events, AT&T found itself in the spotlight after reportedly paying a hacker—or perhaps a group of hackers—more than $300,000 to ensure that stolen data was deleted from their systems. The hacker even went as far as to show a video as evidence of the data’s deletion. This raises quite a few eyebrows and sparks a plethora of questions. Is this legitimate proof? Can a video guarantee that sensitive information has actually been wiped?

WIRED has confirmed that they viewed the video the hacker submitted to AT&T, claiming that it serves as proof of the deleted data. Interestingly, AT&T has not responded to WIRED’s inquiry for comments on this peculiar situation, leaving many to wonder about the implications.

One might ponder whether paying off hackers could simply encourage further attacks. After all, if a hacker knows they can be compensated for their actions, what’s to stop them from targeting the same organization again?

In an age where cyber security is more crucial than ever, incidents like this highlight the ongoing challenges companies face in safeguarding their data. As organizations weigh the risks and benefits of engaging with hackers to retrieve stolen information, one question looms large: is paying them ever the right solution?

To dive deeper into this unfolding story, you can read more about it on WIRED’s website here.

Stay tuned as we follow this story and explore the wider implications for cybersecurity practices across industries.