On Wednesday around noon ET, numerous customers of Verizon reported significant cellular outages across the United States. Users experienced difficulties completing calls and accessing mobile data, with similar issues noted among Verizon broadband internet customers. In what appears to be a cascading effect, customers of AT&T and T-Mobile also started reporting service disruptions during the same timeframe, potentially linked to the ongoing Verizon outage.
In a statement to WIRED, Verizon spokesperson Christina Moon Ashraf acknowledged the issue, stating, “We are aware of an issue impacting wireless voice and data services for some customers. Our engineers are engaged and are working to identify and solve the issue quickly.” This suggests that Verizon’s technical teams are mobilized to diagnose and address the anomaly promptly.
T-Mobile officials clarified that while their services are functioning normally, their customers might face challenges when attempting to reach Verizon users. AT&T has yet to respond to requests for comments regarding the situation, indicating some uncertainty about their involvement in the observed disruptions.
Data from the outage tracking site DownDetector indicated spikes in disruption reports for all three major mobile carriers, highlighting a widespread impact on network reliability. Reports from users on both iOS and Android platforms have indicated that devices are switching to SOS mode, allowing only emergency calls. Alarmingly, some users have indicated that even 911 calls may be affected, creating a potential public safety concern.
In a related alert, the official emergency communication channel for Washington, DC, issued a warning at 12:57 PM ET noting a nationwide Verizon Wireless outage possibly affecting users’ ability to connect with emergency services. The alert advised individuals experiencing an emergency to utilize a different carrier’s device, a landline, or to physically go to a police or fire station.
This incident mirrors previous events where disruptions at one telecommunications provider have resulted in collateral impacts on other carriers, primarily due to the inability to route calls and data effectively. Such interconnected systems can pose increased vulnerabilities, where an outage has far-reaching effects across the telecom landscape.
From a cybersecurity perspective, it is crucial to consider the potential MITRE ATT&CK tactics and techniques that could have been employed in such incidents. Although the exact nature of the outage remains unclear, adversary tactics such as service disruption, initial access, and other forms of network exploitation may be relevant when analyzing the systemic failures that led to these widespread outages.
This situation remains fluid, and further developments are anticipated as Verizon and other network providers continue to address the issues impacting their services. Business owners and IT professionals are advised to stay informed on the progress and implications of the ongoing disruptions, particularly as they may influence operational continuity and communication capabilities.
