Last week, a widespread power outage led US telecoms giant AT&T to fear the worst, but the problem was far from being anything truly nefarious.
The cause of AT&T's network outage has been revealed, and in a statement published on the company's own website, and shared with CNET, the problem in question was the result of software and not a cyberattack - "Based on our initial analysis, we believe that today's outage was caused by the application and execution of an incorrect process used when we were expanding our network, and not by a cyberattack," the statement reads. "We are continuing our assessment of today's outage to ensure that we continue to provide the service our customers deserve."
This outage still lasted several hours, even affecting mobile connectivity for AT&T users across the country. Furthermore, a source familiar with the matter told CNET that the problem occurred while AT&T was carrying out its regular maintenance, which usually happens during the night. Reports on social media also suggested that the outage was widespread, with Downdetectora website where users can report problems with websites and services, showing a spike in problems with AT&T across the country. The operator recommended that customers use other services such as Wi-Fi calling to connect with others while the network was down.
The original article via CNET can be read here.
