ATLANTA — Georgia Power says a cyberattack exposed limited customer account information belonging to hundreds of thousands of customers after an unauthorized third party gained access to its online customer portal.
In a statement, Georgia Power said it recently detected “suspicious activity” involving the portal and determined that an unauthorized actor accessed certain customer account information.
“We recently detected suspicious activity involving our online customer portal. An unauthorized third party accessed certain, limited information about the accounts of approximately 400K customers,” the company said.
Georgia Power said the hack impacted 400,000 accounts tied to its parent company, Southern Company.
Of those 400,000 accounts, 300,000 were Georgia Power customers.
The company said that the hack exposed customers’ names, addresses, phone numbers, emails, and last four digits of their Social Security numbers.
Georgia Power said it immediately took steps to stop the activity and contacted law enforcement.
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The utility said it has completed an investigation and found no evidence that unauthorized access is continuing.
“We have conducted a thorough investigation, and we have not identified any evidence of ongoing unauthorized access,” the company said.
Georgia Power says it is now notifying affected customers and providing free credit monitoring services.
The company has not released specifics about exactly what customer information was accessed.
Utilities increasingly targeted by cyberattacks
The breach comes as utilities across Georgia and the nation continue facing growing cybersecurity threats.
Last year, Georgia was among several states reporting cyberattacks targeting water infrastructure systems, according to an Associated Press and ABC News report carried by WSB-TV.
Federal officials warned that hackers linked to foreign governments have increasingly targeted critical infrastructure, including electric utilities, water systems and other public services.
Cybersecurity experts have warned that attacks on utility systems can be especially concerning because they don’t just involve personal information. They can potentially affect services millions of people rely on every day.
The latest Georgia Power incident appears to involve customer account information rather than operational systems, but the attack highlights the continued focus cybercriminals have placed on utility providers.
What customers should do
Security experts generally recommend customers:
- Monitor bank and credit card accounts for unusual activity.
- Review credit reports regularly.
- Take advantage of any free credit monitoring being offered.
- Be cautious of phishing emails, texts or phone calls claiming to be from Georgia Power.
- Avoid clicking links in unsolicited messages and instead go directly to the utility’s website or official app.
Georgia Power says it remains committed to protecting customer information and continues working with law enforcement as the investigation moves forward.
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