AT&T customers have a fantastic opportunity to enhance their security with a recent feature designed to safeguard your phone number from unauthorized transfers to different devices. This protection, known as Wireless Account Lock, is now being made available to all AT&T subscribers.

One prevalent threat in the realm of phone security is known as SIM swapping, or SIM jacking, which is recognized as a particularly dangerous method of hacking. In this nefarious attack, hackers reroute your mobile number to a different SIM card situated in another device. This act compromises the privacy of your calls, texts, and even crucial two-factor authentication codes. (For this reason, using SMS for authentication should be approached with caution.)

Executing a SIM swap requires the assailant to persuade your service provider to reroute your number to a new SIM. This manipulation can involve obtaining sensitive data through phishing attempts or previous data breaches. In some cases, hackers may even resort to coercing or bribing staff members at the telecom provider to facilitate this fraudulent alteration. As detailed by Bleeping Computer, there has been a noticeable surge in SIM swapping incidents in recent years, impacting customers across carriers such as T-Mobile and Google Fi.

Understanding How Wireless Account Lock Safeguards Your Information

The Wireless Account Lock feature serves to limit modifications on your AT&T account while activated. This ensures that no one, including AT&T personnel, can transfer your number to a new SIM card. When this feature is turned on, it effectively disables the following actions:

• Device upgrades

• Switching SIM cards or eSIMs

• Transferring a phone number

• Adding a new line

• Modifying billing information

• Altering authorized users

• Changing phone numbers

For business accounts, administrators have the flexibility to exclude certain lines or enable specific lock features as needed.

Steps to Activate AT&T’s Wireless Account Lock

To activate Wireless Account Lock, navigate to the myAT&T app and go to Services > Mobile Security > Wireless Account Lock. Click on Continue, select the account you wish to lock or unlock, and swipe to finalize the process. For AT&T Prepaid users, the steps are similar: choose the number to be locked in the myAT&T app, select Continue, and then go to Profile & Settings > Account Info & Preferences > Wireless Account Lock > Turn on or Turn off. Validation via an SMS code will be required to complete the change.

This setting is applicable to all devices and lines associated with your AT&T account, including smartphones, tablets, wearables, hotspots, and laptops.

It’s important to note that both T-Mobile and Verizon also offer protective features to combat SIM swapping, referred to as SIM Protection, for both prepaid and postpaid accounts. Users of these carriers can activate respective security measures via their service platforms.