Spectrum and Charter Communications: Data Breach at Internet Service Provider Exposes Records

Spectrum Data Breach Exposes 42 Million Records, Sparks Class-Action Lawsuits

Charter Communications, the parent company of Spectrum, is facing multiple class-action lawsuits after a cyberattack in early April allegedly exposed over 42 million customer records containing sensitive personal information. At least four complaints were filed last week in federal court in Connecticut, accusing the Stamford-based provider of failing to implement adequate security measures to prevent the breach.

The lawsuits, including one filed by New York resident Dana Dang, claim that hackers accessed and posted the stolen data on the dark web, putting affected customers at heightened risk of identity theft, fraud, and financial exploitation. Plaintiffs argue that the breach has forced them to take costly precautions, such as monitoring financial accounts, changing passwords, and investing in credit protection services.

According to reports, the breach was carried out by the hacking group ShinyHunters, which gained access through a voice phishing (vishing) attack that compromised an employee’s Microsoft Entra account. The threat actors then exfiltrated millions of records from Charter’s Salesforce instance, including customer names, email addresses, phone numbers, plan details, and some Customer Proprietary Network Information (CPNI). The group also claimed to have stolen customer support ticket data.

Charter, one of the largest U.S. telecommunications companies with nearly 32 million customers, has not yet publicly responded to the lawsuits. The breach comes as the company prepares to merge with Cox Communications in May 2025, forming a new entity under Charter’s current leadership and headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut. The plaintiffs are seeking unspecified damages in the ongoing legal action.

Source: https://www.govtech.com/security/data-breach-at-internet-service-provider-exposes-records

Spectrum cybersecurity rating report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/spectrum

"id": "SPE1780439851",
"linkid": "spectrum",
"type": "Breach",
"date": "4/2026",
"severity": "100",
"impact": "4",
"explanation": "Attack with significant impact with customers data leaks"

{'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': '42 million records exposed',
                        'industry': 'Telecommunications',
                        'location': 'Stamford, Connecticut, USA',
                        'name': 'Charter Communications (Spectrum)',
                        'size': 'Nearly 32 million customers',
                        'type': 'Telecommunications'}],
 'attack_vector': 'Voice Phishing (Vishing)',
 'data_breach': {'data_exfiltration': 'Yes',
                 'number_of_records_exposed': '42 million',
                 'personally_identifiable_information': 'Yes',
                 'sensitivity_of_data': 'High',
                 'type_of_data_compromised': ['Customer names',
                                              'Email addresses',
                                              'Phone numbers',
                                              'Plan details',
                                              'Customer Proprietary Network '
                                              'Information (CPNI)',
                                              'Customer support ticket data']},
 'date_detected': '2024-04',
 'description': 'Charter Communications, the parent company of Spectrum, is '
                'facing multiple class-action lawsuits after a cyberattack in '
                'early April allegedly exposed over 42 million customer '
                'records containing sensitive personal information. Hackers '
                'accessed and posted the stolen data on the dark web, putting '
                'affected customers at heightened risk of identity theft, '
                'fraud, and financial exploitation.',
 'impact': {'brand_reputation_impact': 'Yes',
            'data_compromised': '42 million records',
            'identity_theft_risk': 'Yes',
            'legal_liabilities': 'Class-action lawsuits',
            'systems_affected': 'Salesforce instance'},
 'initial_access_broker': {'data_sold_on_dark_web': 'Yes',
                           'entry_point': 'Voice Phishing (Vishing)'},
 'investigation_status': 'Ongoing',
 'motivation': 'Data Exfiltration, Financial Exploitation',
 'post_incident_analysis': {'root_causes': 'Inadequate security measures, '
                                           'compromised employee account'},
 'ransomware': {'data_exfiltration': 'Yes'},
 'references': [{'source': 'Cyber Incident Report'}],
 'regulatory_compliance': {'legal_actions': 'Class-action lawsuits'},
 'threat_actor': 'ShinyHunters',
 'title': 'Spectrum Data Breach Exposes 42 Million Records, Sparks '
          'Class-Action Lawsuits',
 'type': 'Data Breach',
 'vulnerability_exploited': 'Compromised Microsoft Entra account'}