On Thursday, AT&T successfully restored all of its networks by 3 p.m. ET following a widespread cellular outage. White House spokesperson John Kirby informed reporters that the FBI and Department of Homeland Security are currently investigating the cause of the disruption.
Kirby stated, "The bottom line is we don't have all the answers," indicating the ongoing nature of the investigation. Eric Goldstein, Executive Assistant Director at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), mentioned that the agency is collaborating with AT&T to determine the root cause of the outage.
CISA, operating within the Department of Homeland Security, plays a critical role in ensuring the security of the nation's infrastructure. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) also confirmed that they are looking into the matter, particularly in terms of its impact on public safety and emergency services.
The FBI is actively involved in the investigation as well, ready to respond accordingly if any malicious activity is uncovered. Despite the disruption to AT&T customers and potential threats to emergency services, US officials have been informed that the outage was not believed to be a cyber security incident.
Local officials and emergency departments issued alerts urging people to use Wi-Fi for communication during the outage. AT&T reassured customers that steps were being taken to prevent a similar incident in the future.
As the investigation continues, the White House has refrained from providing further comments on the matter. The collaborative efforts of multiple agencies highlight the importance of swiftly addressing disruptions in critical communication networks.