Southern Company data breach affects 400,000 customers

Southern Company has reported a data security incident involving its online customer portal, affecting approximately 400,000 customers across its service territory. Of those, about 100,000 are Alabama Power customers and roughly 300,000 are Georgia Power customers.

The unauthorized third party accessed limited account information, which may include names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, the last four digits of Social Security numbers, and other basic account details. Southern Company stated that bank account numbers, payment card numbers, and driver’s license numbers were not included in the compromised data.

The company has notified law enforcement and launched an investigation. While the breach has been contained, Southern Company is providing affected customers with one year of free credit monitoring through Equifax. Affected individuals are being notified directly via U.S. mail and email.