Georgia Power says an unauthorized third party broke into its online customer portal and accessed limited information tied to roughly 300,000 customer accounts, part of a broader security incident affecting about 400,000 accounts across its parent company's footprint. The utility says it has since cut off the unauthorized access, notified law enforcement and is offering free credit monitoring to those affected.
According to walb.com, Georgia Power confirmed the suspicious activity involving its online customer portal and said it took immediate steps to stop it once detected. As CBS News Atlanta reports, the company is investigating the unauthorized data breach that may have accessed some customers' information, though it has not disclosed the identity of the third party responsible.
CBS News Atlanta reported that the information accessed included names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, and the last four digits of Social Security numbers. The company says it completed an investigation and found no evidence that unauthorized access to customer accounts is ongoing.
What Information Was Potentially Exposed
Georgia Power's customer email listed names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, and the last four digits of Social Security numbers. Southern Company said the potentially accessed information includes names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, and the last four digits of Social Security numbers or business tax IDs, according to fox10tv.com.
Importantly, the station's report states that no full Social Security numbers, bank account numbers, credit or debit card numbers, or driver's license numbers were involved. That distinction matters for anyone trying to gauge how exposed their finances actually are.
A Broader Southern Company Incident
The Georgia Power breach is part of a larger event affecting Southern Company's operations across the Southeast. Per fox10tv.com, the data breach has impacted about 400,000 electric customers in the region, with roughly 100,000 of those being Alabama Power customers. Reporting from al.com indicates that affected customers in that broader incident were offered a free year of enrollment in credit monitoring and identity theft restoration services, which aligns with what Georgia Power customers are reportedly being offered as well.
Credit Monitoring And Customer Response
Georgia Power is notifying affected customers directly and providing free credit monitoring as part of its response, per walb.com's reporting. According to CBS News Atlanta, the company is offering affected customers one year of free credit monitoring and identity theft restoration services through Equifax, with activation information included in the email sent to those impacted.
Consumers worried about exposure have options beyond the monitoring Georgia Power is offering. The Georgia Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division recommends that consumers consider freezing their credit after a breach, or proactively, to reduce identity-theft risk. Separately, the Federal Trade Commission's breach-response guidance for businesses says companies should consider offering at least a year of free credit monitoring or similar identity-protection support, particularly when financial information may be involved.
Beware Of Scammers Posing As Georgia Power
Georgia Power is warning customers to be on alert for individuals claiming to be Georgia Power representatives. The company encourages customers to be cautious of individuals claiming to be Georgia Power representatives, and it says it will never threaten immediate disconnection or demand payment information over the phone.
Customers who suspect they are being targeted by an impersonator should hang up or refrain from replying, then call Georgia Power using the number on their bill or website, the company advises on its fraud protection page, which also lists a dedicated line at 1-888-660-5890 for scam concerns. The warning echoes a broader pattern flagged by state regulators: the Georgia Public Service Commission has said it is aware that consumers statewide have received calls from people purporting to be utility representatives, reminding residents that legitimate utilities do not solicit personal or financial information that way.
Georgia law requires that breach notifications be provided in the most expedient time possible and without unreasonable delay, unless a law enforcement agency determines that notification would impede an investigation, according to the Georgia Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division. CBS News Atlanta has requested the number of customers affected by the breach directly from Georgia Power and says it will update its story if the company responds.
