Hackers launched a sophisticated attack on a major telecom company in the Midwest last October, knocking hundreds of thousands of internet routers offline. The attack, one of the worst in US telecom history, went unreported at the time.
Security researchers at Lumen Technologies discovered the attack and believe it was deliberate. Malicious software disguised as a firmware update disabled routers, leaving many without internet for days (October 25-27). While the specific company wasn’t named, details suggest Arkansas-based Windstream was likely the target. Windstream declined to comment.
The attack’s impact was severe, potentially disrupting emergency services, agriculture (harvest monitoring), and healthcare (telehealth, patient records) in rural and underserved areas. Social media posts from the time described connection issues and router replacements.
The FBI investigates US cybercrimes, but it’s unclear if they were notified. Private companies often keep such incidents quiet.pen_spark
