Hundreds of thousands of US internet routers were destroyed in a newly discovered 2023 hack

An unidentified hacking group launched a massive cyberattack on a telecommunications company in the US heartland late last year, which disabled hundreds of thousands of internet routers, according to recent research.

The attack, targeting a major telecom provider, disrupted service for a significant portion of its customer base, highlighting the vulnerabilities within critical infrastructure. The hackers leveraged sophisticated techniques to infiltrate the company's network, causing widespread outages and significant operational challenges.

Security experts are analyzing the breach to understand the methods used and to prevent future incidents. The attack underscores the growing threat of cyberattacks on essential services and the need for enhanced cybersecurity measures to protect against such disruptions.

Authorities are investigating the incident, and the telecommunications company is working to restore services and bolster its defenses against future threats. This incident serves as a stark reminder of the critical importance of robust cybersecurity protocols in safeguarding national infrastructure and maintaining service continuity.

Security analysts with Lumen Technologies' Black Lotus Labs discovered the attack in recent months and reported on it in a blog post. The October incident, which was not disclosed at the time, took more than 600,000 internet routers offline, causing widespread disruption and highlighting significant vulnerabilities within the telecommunications sector.

The attack, which targeted a major telecommunications company in the US heartland, utilized sophisticated techniques to infiltrate and disable the network infrastructure. The disruption affected a substantial number of customers, who experienced internet outages and reduced service quality.

Black Lotus Labs, the threat intelligence unit of Lumen Technologies, detailed the breach in their blog, emphasizing the scale and impact of the attack. The hackers' methods included exploiting vulnerabilities in the routers' firmware, allowing them to take control of the devices and render them inoperative.

In response to the attack, the telecommunications company has been working to restore services, update firmware, and implement stronger security measures to prevent future incidents. The incident serves as a critical reminder of the importance of maintaining robust cybersecurity defenses and staying vigilant against evolving cyber threats.

Authorities are conducting a thorough investigation to identify the perpetrators and understand the full scope of the attack. This incident underscores the pressing need for enhanced security protocols to protect critical infrastructure and ensure the reliability of essential services.

The recent increase builds on a rise of 22,818 gigabit services in the three months leading up to December 31. This growth signifies a 50 percent increase in total residential gigabit services within just six months. Notably, this surge is the largest observed in the past three years.

Three years ago, NBN Co launched a 'try before you buy' promotion called 'Focus on Fast.' This initiative allowed customers who were paying for 100Mbps services to try out 250Mbps or gigabit services for free over a six-month period. The promotion led to a substantial rise in upgrades to the gigabit tier, with active services skyrocketing from 9,924 to 82,918 in just one quarter. This historical context highlights the potential impact of strategic promotions on service adoption and customer upgrades.

Price is also likely to be a factor: NBN Co stated late last year that the effect of its special access undertaking (SAU), agreed upon with regulators, results in a $10 per month reduction in the wholesale charge for the ultrafast plan.

Since the SAU was approved, challenger retail service providers (RSPs) have particularly taken an aggressive stance with their retail pricing.

Aussie Broadband leads with the largest number of gigabit residential users, totaling 52,251. They are followed by Superloop with 31,203 users, and TPG Internet with 20,721 users. This aggressive pricing strategy by these RSPs is likely contributing significantly to the increased adoption of gigabit services.It isn’t just gigabit services that have benefitted from the improved wholesale pricing and the expansion of the fibre footprint.

In the past three months, the number of active 250Mbps connections rose by 23,663, while the number of 100Mbps connections increased by 96,999.An NBN Co spokesperson told iTnews that the company has seen "strong demand for full fibre upgrades, particularly since we now have more than 8 million premises throughout all states and territories of Australia that are now eligible to upgrade, and all major retailers are in market."