A massive data breach at AT&T revealed that hackers specifically searched for phone records linked to high-profile political figures and their families, including members of the Trump family, Vice President Kamala Harris, and the wife of Senator Marco Rubio.
The breach, which affected the call and text metadata of nearly all AT&T customers during a specific period, has raised serious national security concerns beyond its impact on the general public.
According to sources close to the matter, the hackers planned to monetize the stolen data by developing a searchable database tool that would have allowed access to records for a fee. The scope of compromised records appears to be more extensive than initially reported.
The targeting of prominent political families' data adds another layer of concern to what was already a major security incident. The hackers specifically sought information related to Melania and Ivanka Trump, among other high-profile individuals.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), now under the leadership of Brendan Carr, who has historically maintained close ties with telecommunications companies, would be responsible for any potential fines against AT&T related to the breach.
The revelation of this targeted data mining operation highlights the sophisticated nature of the attack and its potential implications for national security and personal privacy.