Latest news with #IdentityTheftResourceCenter
Japan Today
22-07-2025
- Japan Today
Your data privacy is slipping away – here's why, and what you can do about it
By Mike Chapple Cybersecurity and data privacy are constantly in the news. Governments are passing new cybersecurity laws. Companies are investing in cybersecurity controls such as firewalls, encryption and awareness training at record levels. And yet, people are losing ground on data privacy. In 2024, the Identity Theft Resource Center reported that companies sent out 1.3 billion notifications to the victims of data breaches. That's more than triple the notices sent out the year before. It's clear that despite growing efforts, personal data breaches are not only continuing, but accelerating. What can you do about this situation? Many people think of the cybersecurity issue as a technical problem. They're right: Technical controls are an important part of protecting personal information, but they are not enough. As a professor of information technology, analytics and operations at the University of Notre Dame, I study ways to protect personal privacy. Solid personal privacy protection is made up of three pillars: accessible technical controls, public awareness of the need for privacy, and public policies that prioritize personal privacy. Each plays a crucial role in protecting personal privacy. A weakness in any one puts the entire system at risk. The first line of defense Technology is the first line of defense, guarding access to computers that store data and encrypting information as it travels between computers to keep intruders from gaining access. But even the best security tools can fail when misused, misconfigured or ignored. Two technical controls are especially important: encryption and multifactor authentication. These are the backbone of digital privacy – and they work best when widely adopted and properly implemented. Encryption uses complex math to put sensitive data in an unreadable format that can only be unlocked with the right key. For example, your web browser uses HTTPS encryption to protect your information when you visit a secure webpage. This prevents anyone on your network – or any network between you and the website – from eavesdropping on your communications. Today, nearly all web traffic is encrypted in this way. But if we're so good at encrypting data on networks, why are we still suffering all of these data breaches? The reality is that encrypting data in transit is only part of the challenge. Securing stored data We also need to protect data wherever it's stored – on phones, laptops and the servers that make up cloud storage. Unfortunately, this is where security often falls short. Encrypting stored data, or data at rest, isn't as widespread as encrypting data that is moving from one place to another. While modern smartphones typically encrypt files by default, the same can't be said for cloud storage or company databases. Only 10% of organizations report that at least 80% of the information they have stored in the cloud is encrypted, according to a 2024 industry survey. This leaves a huge amount of unencrypted personal information potentially exposed if attackers manage to break in. Without encryption, breaking into a database is like opening an unlocked filing cabinet – everything inside is accessible to the attacker. Multifactor authentication is a security measure that requires you to provide more than one form of verification before accessing sensitive information. This type of authentication is more difficult to crack than a password alone because it requires a combination of different types of information. It often combines something you know, such as a password, with something you have, such as a smartphone app that can generate a verification code or with something that's part of what you are, like a fingerprint. Proper use of multifactor authentication reduces the risk of compromise by 99.22%. While 83% of organizations require that their employees use multifactor authentication, according to another industry survey, this still leaves millions of accounts protected by nothing more than a password. As attackers grow more sophisticated and credential theft remains rampant, closing that 17% gap isn't just a best practice – it's a necessity. Multifactor authentication is one of the simplest, most effective steps organizations can take to prevent data breaches, but it remains underused. Expanding its adoption could dramatically reduce the number of successful attacks each year. Awareness gives people the knowledge they need Even the best technology falls short when people make mistakes. Human error played a role in 68% of 2024 data breaches, according to a Verizon report. Organizations can mitigate this risk through employee training, data minimization – meaning collecting only the information necessary for a task, then deleting it when it's no longer needed – and strict access controls. Policies, audits and incident response plans can help organizations prepare for a possible data breach so they can stem the damage, see who is responsible and learn from the experience. It's also important to guard against insider threats and physical intrusion using physical safeguards such as locking down server rooms. Public policy holds organizations accountable Legal protections help hold organizations accountable in keeping data protected and giving people control over their data. The European Union's General Data Protection Regulation is one of the most comprehensive privacy laws in the world. It mandates strong data protection practices and gives people the right to access, correct and delete their personal data. And the General Data Protection Regulation has teeth: In 2023, Meta was fined €1.2 billion (US$1.4 billion) when Facebook was found in violation. Despite years of discussion, the U.S. still has no comprehensive federal privacy law. Several proposals have been introduced in Congress, but none have made it across the finish line. In its place, a mix of state regulations and industry-specific rules – such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act for health data and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act for financial institutions – fill the gaps. Some states have passed their own privacy laws, but this patchwork leaves Americans with uneven protections and creates compliance headaches for businesses operating across jurisdictions. The tools, policies and knowledge to protect personal data exist – but people's and institutions' use of them still falls short. Stronger encryption, more widespread use of multifactor authentication, better training and clearer legal standards could prevent many breaches. It's clear that these tools work. What's needed now is the collective will – and a unified federal mandate – to put those protections in place. Mike Chapple is Teaching Professor of IT, Analytics, and Operations, University of Notre Dame. The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts. External Link © The Conversation
CNET
16-07-2025
- Business
- CNET
New Research Shows Data Breaches Keep Coming. Here's How To Protect Yourself
The personal data of Americans continues to be under threat from cybercriminals looking to steal it for their own financial gain, according to a new report from the Identity Theft Resource Center. For the first six months of this year, there were 1,732 data compromises reported that resulted in 165.7 million victim notifications, the non-profit group focused on helping victims of identity theft said Wednesday. The number of reported compromises represents an 11% increase from the same six months in 2024 when there were 1,567 reported compromises. Of the most recent period's total, 1,348 stemmed from data breaches resulting from cyberattacks, far outpacing other causes like phishing attacks, ransomware and computer viruses. The ITRC says the numbers don't include previously compromised data such as logins and passwords that were repackaged then posted online for sharing or sale during the period, noting that they don't constitute a new threat against companies or consumers, just a continuation of one that already existed. That's still a "serious risk" for businesses, because much of the data is logins and passwords, James Lee, the group's president, said in a statement. "But it also means individuals need to take steps to protect themselves from identity fraud and scams." The total for the first half of this year also represented 59% of the 3,155 compromises reported for all of 2024, but the number of people potentially affected represented just 12% of the year-ago total. The ITRC says that while breaches have continued, there haven't been the same kinds of mega breaches affecting hundreds of millions of people that there were last year, resulting in the drop. The financial services and healthcare industries, known for their vast repositories of personal and financial consumer data, continued to be the most targeted sectors in the first half of 2025, accounting for 387 and 283 compromises, respectively. That might seem daunting, given that there's not a whole lot consumers can do if their personal data is exposed in one of these corporate data breaches, but there are a few things you can do to mitigate the damage if you do get caught up. Here are a few tips from CNET and the ITRC. How to protect your data Set great passwords and always use MFA. All of your passwords should be long, complex and unique. Need help? Try a password manager or look into setting up passkeys. Don't be tempted to recycle old passwords even if they're great. And if one of your passwords is compromised in a breach, change it right away. It should also go without saying that enabling multi-factor authentication is a must whenever it's available. It'll help protect you in the event that your password is compromised. Be on the lookout for phishing. Data breaches that expose your email and other personal details give cybercriminals the material they need to craft successful scam texts, emails, social media messages and even phone calls. And now they have artificial intelligence tools to make them all the more convincing. Be skeptical of any kind of unsolicited communications and don't hand over any personal information or money to people or companies you haven't vetted to be legitimate. Keep an eye on your financial accounts. If you know your personal information has been caught up in a breach, keep a close eye on your bank accounts and credit card statements. Set up account alerts to inform you right away if a big transaction takes place. Freeze your credit. If you're worried you might be at risk of identity theft or fraud, freeze your credit with all the major credit bureaus. It's not as big of a pain as you might think. That way, cybercriminals won't be able to use your personal information to do things like get a credit card or take out a loan.
Fast Company
10-07-2025
- Fast Company
Data privacy is failing. Here's what encryption and MFA can (and can't) do
Cybersecurity and data privacy are constantly in the news. Governments are passing new cybersecurity laws. Companies are investing in cybersecurity controls such as firewalls, encryption, and awareness training at record levels. And yet, people are losing ground on data privacy. In 2024, the Identity Theft Resource Center reported that companies sent out 1.3 billion notifications to the victims of data breaches. That's more than triple the notices sent out the year before. It's clear that despite growing efforts, personal data breaches are not only continuing, but accelerating. What can you do about this situation? Many people think of the cybersecurity issue as a technical problem. They're right: Technical controls are an important part of protecting personal information, but they are not enough. As a professor of information technology, analytics, and operations at the University of Notre Dame, I study ways to protect personal privacy. Solid personal privacy protection is made up of three pillars: accessible technical controls, public awareness of the need for privacy, and public policies that prioritize personal privacy. Each plays a crucial role in protecting personal privacy. A weakness in any one puts the entire system at risk. The first line of defense Technology is the first line of defense, guarding access to computers that store data and encrypting information as it travels between computers to keep intruders from gaining access. But even the best security tools can fail when misused, misconfigured, or ignored. Two technical controls are especially important: encryption and multifactor authentication (MFA). These are the backbone of digital privacy—and they work best when widely adopted and properly implemented. Encryption uses complex math to put sensitive data in an unreadable format that can only be unlocked with the right key. For example, your web browser uses HTTPS encryption to protect your information when you visit a secure webpage. This prevents anyone on your network—or any network between you and the website—from eavesdropping on your communications. Today, nearly all web traffic is encrypted in this way. But if we're so good at encrypting data on networks, why are we still suffering all of these data breaches? The reality is that encrypting data in transit is only part of the challenge. Securing stored data We also need to protect data wherever it's stored—on phones, laptops, and the servers that make up cloud storage. Unfortunately, this is where security often falls short. Encrypting stored data, or data at rest, isn't as widespread as encrypting data that is moving from one place to another. While modern smartphones typically encrypt files by default, the same can't be said for cloud storage or company databases. Only 10% of organizations report that at least 80% of the information they have stored in the cloud is encrypted, according to a 2024 industry survey. This leaves a huge amount of unencrypted personal information potentially exposed if attackers manage to break in. Without encryption, breaking into a database is like opening an unlocked filing cabinet—everything inside is accessible to the attacker. Multifactor authentication is a security measure that requires you to provide more than one form of verification before accessing sensitive information. This type of authentication is more difficult to crack than a password alone because it requires a combination of different types of information. It often combines something you know, such as a password, with something you have, such as a smartphone app that can generate a verification code or with something that's part of what you are, like a fingerprint. Proper use of multifactor authentication reduces the risk of compromise by 99.22%. While 83% of organizations require that their employees use multifactor authentication, according to another industry survey, this still leaves millions of accounts protected by nothing more than a password. As attackers grow more sophisticated and credential theft remains rampant, closing that 17% gap isn't just a best practice—it's a necessity. Multifactor authentication is one of the simplest, most effective steps organizations can take to prevent data breaches, but it remains underused. Expanding its adoption could dramatically reduce the number of successful attacks each year. Awareness gives people the knowledge they need Even the best technology falls short when people make mistakes. Human error played a role in 68% of 2024 data breaches, according to a Verizon report. Organizations can mitigate this risk through employee training, data minimization—meaning collecting only the information necessary for a task, then deleting it when it's no longer needed—and strict access controls. Policies, audits, and incident response plans can help organizations prepare for a possible data breach so they can stem the damage, see who is responsible and learn from the experience. It's also important to guard against insider threats and physical intrusion using physical safeguards such as locking down server rooms. Public policy holds organizations accountable Legal protections help hold organizations accountable in keeping data protected and giving people control over their data. The European Union's General Data Protection Regulation is one of the most comprehensive privacy laws in the world. It mandates strong data protection practices and gives people the right to access, correct, and delete their personal data. And the General Data Protection Regulation has teeth: In 2023, Meta was fined €1.2 billion (US$1.4 billion) when Facebook was found in violation. Despite years of discussion, the U.S. still has no comprehensive federal privacy law. Several proposals have been introduced in Congress, but none have made it across the finish line. In its place, a mix of state regulations and industry-specific rules—such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act for health data and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act for financial institutions —fill the gaps. Some states have passed their own privacy laws, but this patchwork leaves Americans with uneven protections and creates compliance headaches for businesses operating across jurisdictions. The tools, policies, and knowledge to protect personal data exist—but people's and institutions' use of them still falls short. Stronger encryption, more widespread use of multifactor authentication, better training, and clearer legal standards could prevent many breaches. It's clear that these tools work. What's needed now is the collective will—and a unified federal mandate—to put those protections in place.
Forbes
06-07-2025
- Forbes
Criminal Hackers Are Employing AI To Facilitate Identity Theft.
Abstract Red Background with Binary Code Numbers. Data Breach, Malware, Cyber Attack, Hacked Concept Identity theft refers to the illicit acquisition and utilization of an individual's private identifying information, typically for financial benefit, and it constitutes an escalating global issue. The sophistication and expertise of cybercriminals have escalated in their intrusions that are putting identities at risk. Cybercriminals are employing artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to steal identities by infiltrating and examining victim networks. To deceive or undermine cyber-defense systems and applications, their preferred techniques generally include self-modifying malware and automated phishing attempts that mimic real individuals. Their targeted assaults are now more lethal, more strategic, and swifter as a consequence. The Identity Theft Resource Center's 2024 report indicated that victim notices increased by 312% from 419 million notices in 2023 to 1,728,519,397 in 2024. Last year, the financial services sector, dominated by commercial banks and insurance, experienced the highest number of breaches, followed by healthcare (the most targeted sector from 2018 to 2024), professional services, manufacturing, and technology. Identity Theft Resource Center's 2024 Annual Data Breach Report Reveals Near-Record Number of Compromises and Victim Notices - ITRC The rationale behind the heightened incidence of identity fraud is evident. As our connectivity increases, so do our visibility and susceptibility to individuals seeking to compromise our accounts and appropriate our identities. The surface threat landscape has significantly broadened because of cellphones, wearables, and the Internet of Things, resulting in numerous phishing targets. Enhanced connectivity renders us more conspicuous to others seeking unauthorized access to our accounts and identity theft, thus increasing our vulnerability to their assaults. The Internet of Things, wearable technology, and mobile phones have substantially expanded the threat landscape. Securing laptops, notebooks, social media applications, and mobile devices poses significant challenges. It is an ideal environment for hackers, offering numerous targets at their disposal. Hackers and scammers employ diverse approaches contingent upon the people involved and their proficiency levels. Nonetheless, identity theft need not be intricate, particularly given the accessible targets that criminals may exploit. Cybercriminals often attach ransomware to their targeted cyberattacks, demanding cryptocurrency payments from victims to recover their data. A prevalent technique for acquiring personal information is phishing. This is typically achieved through the use of a counterfeit website designed to mimic the authentic one. The objective of this assault is to appropriate the victim's identity by deceiving the user into inputting their username and password into a counterfeit login form. Cybercriminals can effortlessly mimic individuals you may recognize, financial institutions, and reputable businesses. The era of receiving international emails filled with typographical errors and purporting to provide inherited wealth is over. Criminal hacking organizations and fraudsters frequently utilize social media to facilitate their phishing and malware assaults. They can acquire substantial information, including birthdates and personal histories, from social media posts to customize their attacks. The advancement of machine learning algorithms and artificial intelligence has rendered social engineering operations significantly more complex, enabling the identification of weaknesses and the automation of phishing and ransomware attacks on a large scale. Upon successfully obtaining identities, hackers frequently disseminate or vend them on the dark web to other criminals. The utilization of images and mimics has rendered social engineering and phishing attacks more accessible. The era of receiving erroneous bank emails and being prompted to click links has ended. What is particularly alarming is that tens of thousands of new phishing websites are established daily, facilitated by generative AI. Furthermore, hackers are increasingly inclined to trade sophisticated hacking kits and techniques on the Dark Web. Upon discovering a vulnerability, malicious actors typically disseminate it rapidly within their networks. The fundamental point is that anyone can readily succumb to a targeted phishing attempt, particularly if it masquerades as an email from a senior executive. CEOs, in particular, are not impervious to sophisticated spear-phishing attacks. Spoofing Attack Cyber Crime Hoax 3d Rendering Means Website Spoof Threat On Vulnerable Deception ... More Sites Spoofing Identities Spoofing occurs when one individual impersonates another to gain access to confidential data, accounts, or information. It is frequently executed using an email or SMS that may impersonate a preferred vendor, such as Amazon or Microsoft, or even your financial institution or workplace. When one succumbs to a spoof, spyware and ransomware are frequently downloaded. Historically, spoofs were easily identifiable due to typographical errors, subpar visuals, and implausible claims. This has evolved due to advancements in technology and the sophistication of threat actors who possess the ability to deceive nearly anyone. Spoofing can occur through emails, websites, SMS messages, and the falsification of IP addresses. Spear phishing frequently targets corporate leaders through spoofing techniques. Cybercriminals frequently employ business email compromise (BEC) fraud schemes to deceive victims by impersonating a trustworthy individual or organization. Malefactors can generate emails via generative AI that closely mimics the lexicon, style, and tone of the individual or entity they are impersonating, hence complicating the distinction between fraudulent emails and authentic ones. A visual representation of deep fake and disinformation concepts, featuring various related keywords ... More in green on a dark background, symbolizing the spread of false information and the impact of artificial intelligence. Artificial Intelligence-Generated Deepfakes Generative AI can rapidly produce new material by utilizing text, images, and music as inputs through deep neural network machine learning algorithms. Moreover, generative AI models may produce remarkably realistic text, audio, and video content in addition to images. Numerous deepfake AI-generated audio files are sufficiently realistic, enabling an attacker to effectively impersonate organizations and CEOs and access bank account information. Threat actors specializing in deepfakes are intensifying their activities utilizing cost-effective face swap software, virtual cameras, and mobile emulators. These tools are readily available and can be utilized to produce very persuasive synthesized media. An example of deepfake fraud recently occurred in Hong Kong. A clerk employed by a multinational corporation in Hong Kong donated HK$200 million of the company's funds to con artists after being duped into attending a video conference in which every other participant was an AI-generated deepfake. The other participants in the video chat were scammers' creations, posing as the worker's coworkers despite the fact that the clerk was the only real person there. The other participants were fictitious accounts based on actual online conferences that had previously occurred. "The informant [clerk] received an invitation from [the fraudster] to a video conference with numerous participants. The informant made 15 transactions to five local bank accounts as directed, totaling HK$200 million, because the individuals in the video conference appeared to be the actual persons." I believe the fraudster downloaded videos in advance and then used artificial intelligence to add fake voices to use in the video conference." acting senior superintendent Baron Chan said. Deepfake colleagues trick HK clerk into paying HK$200m - RTHK The most effective methods to prevent and detect spoofs and compromises involve maintaining vigilance. Refrain from clicking on any links in emails or websites without confirming the authenticity of the sender. Additionally, install antivirus software and AI enabled spoof detection software, and consider utilizing packet filtering features offered by various suppliers. Agentic AI can be employed to combat identity theft in cybersecurity. It oversees identity configurations in real-time, identifies discrepancies from access checks, and autonomously rectifies these deviations. Conventional authentication techniques may fail to identify behavior-based identity threats. Additionally, ensure that your most sensitive and valuable data is encrypted to prevent easy transfer in the event of spoofing. abstract background futuristic technology risk management text and ui speed meter guage maximum ... More limit Understand the Importance of Cyber Risk Management in Preventing Identity Theft Initially, every enterprise, regardless of size, and consumer should implement a risk management plan. The plan's fundamentals must encompass the identification of essential assets for protection, potential threats, designated corporate responsibilities for mitigation, and the implementation of techniques for incident response and mitigation. Effective risk management security protocols commence with the implementation of a functional, tested plan to mitigate threats. This may encompass encryption, sophisticated firewalls, segregation of sensitive information, and threat intelligence surveillance. It necessitates the development of a framework to evaluate situational awareness, synchronize policies and training, enhance technological integration and privileged access control, encourage information sharing, construct mitigation capabilities, and sustain cyber resilience during crises. In any cyber risk management framework, cyber hygiene is a crucial corporate necessity. Effective cyber hygiene can avert breaches and frequently enable the detection of an intruder in the act. Here are six recommended specific practices for organizations and individuals to mitigate identity theft: 1) Implement multifactor authentication. This is a crucial measure in thwarting identity theft, as it elevates the difficulty of password theft by necessitating two or three procedures to access information. Two-factor authentication can be useful, but it has been breached. Multifactor authentication that adds additional measures is prudent. Additionally, blockchain, and biometrics such as facial recognition, iris scanning, or fingerprinting can be employed to enhance security measures. 2) Use strong passwords. Hackers are proficient at deciphering passwords, particularly when they possess knowledge of your previous residences (street names), birth dates, and preferred phrases through social engineering on social media platforms. Utilizing robust passwords and altering them periodically can further complicate the endeavors of hackers. Consider utilizing a password manager if you access multiple websites. 3) If you are a company, administer a robust identity and access management (IAM) program. This will help ensure that only authorized individuals and designated roles within your business may access the emergence of new threats. 4) Utilize a dedicated computer just for financial transactions, refraining from any other usage. Organizations must ensure the separation and backup of their sensitive data. Additionally, contemplate employing encryption software for sensitive data that needs protection. And soon quantum-resistant encryption will likely be necessary to stay safer. 5) It is advisable to regularly review your credit ratings, bank statements, and social accounts. Numerous credible monitoring businesses offer account alerts that are highly beneficial in the pursuit of awareness. The sooner you identify fraud, the more manageable the complications related to identity theft become. 6) Have a resilience strategy. Ultimately, if a breach occurs, ensure you have a strategy to promptly contact your essential vendors and relationships. Timely remediation can be the difference for a small or medium company surviving the consequences of going out of business. If the breach is particularly severe, please notify law enforcement authorities, since it may be associated with a broader criminal operation of which they should be aware. Addressing identity-targeted cybersecurity threats in the context of generative and agentic artificial intelligence during the cyber era can be challenging and requires a comprehensive strategic approach. We are seeing a novel and more complex set of physical security and cybersecurity concerns that provide substantial risks to individuals, locations, and commercial networks. All entities are susceptible, necessitating the implementation of a comprehensive and strategic approach to managing security risks in order to mitigate threats.
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
AT&T's $177 Million Settlement Will Pay Victims of Two Huge Data Breaches. Learn Who Qualifies
Of the 1,350,835,988 notices sent to subjects of data breaches in 2024, almost a tenth of those came from a hack of AT&T servers in April, according to to the Identity Theft Resource Center's 2024 Annual Data Breach Report. The telecom giant now plans to settle a lawsuit for that breach and another in 2019 for a whopping $177 million. On Friday, June 20, US District Judge Ada Brown granted preliminary approval to the terms of a proposed settlement from AT&T that would resolve two lawsuits related to the data breaches. The current settlement would see AT&T pay $177 million to customers adversely affected by at least one of the two data breaches. The settlement will prioritize larger payments to customers who suffered damages that are "fairly traceable" to the data leaks. It will also provide bigger payments to those impacted by the larger of the two leaks, which began in 2019. While the company is working toward a settlement, it has continued to deny that it was "responsible for these criminal acts." For all the details we have about the settlement right now, keep reading, and for more info about other recent settlements, find out how to claim Apple's Siri privacy settlement and see if you're eligible for 23andMe's privacy breach settlement. AT&T confirmed the two data breaches last year, announcing an investigation into the first in March before confirming it in May and confirming the second in July. The first of the confirmed breaches began in 2019. The company revealed that about 7.6 million current and 65.4 million former account holders had their data exposed to hackers, including names, Social Security numbers and dates of birth. The company first began investigating the situation last year after it reported that customer data had appeared on the dark web. The second breach began in April of 2024, when a hacker broke into AT&T cloud storage provider Snowflake and accessed 2022 call and text records for almost all of the company's US customers, about 109 million in all. The company stressed that no names were attached to the stolen data. Two individuals were arrested in connection with the breach. Both of these incidents sparked a wave of class action lawsuits alleging corporate neglect on the part of AT&T in failing to sufficiently protect its customers. As of now, we know that the settlement will pay out to any current or former AT&T customer whose data was accessed in one of these data breaches, with higher payments reserved for those who can provide documented proof that they suffered damages directly resulting from their data being stolen. If you're eligible, you should receive a notice about it, either by email or a physical letter in the mail, sometime in the coming months. The company expects that the claims process will begin on Aug. 4, 2025. You'll have to "reasonably" prove damages caused by these data breaches to be eligible for the highest and most prioritized payouts. For the 2019 breach, those claimants can receive up to $5,000. For the Snowflake breach, the max payout will be $2,500. It's not clear at this time how the company might be handling customers who've been affected by both breaches. AT&T will focus on making those payments first, and whatever's left of the $177 million settlement total will be disbursed to anyone whose data was accessed, even without proof of damages. Because these payouts depend on how many people get the higher amounts first, we can't say definitively how much they will be. AT&T expects that payments will start to go out sometime in early 2026. Exact dates aren't available right now. The recent court order approving the settlement lists a notification schedule of Aug. 4 to Oct. 17, 2025. The deadline for submitting a claim is currently set at Nov. 18, 2025. The final approval of the settlement needs to be given at a Dec. 3, 2025, court hearing in order for payments to begin. Stay tuned to this piece in the coming months to get all the new details as they emerge. For more money help, check out CNET's daily tariff price impact tracker.
