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Millions of Aussies at risk for identity theft after Optus suffered from a major data breach
One of the biggest telecommunications companies in Australia has suffered a major cyber attack that left the personal information of millions compromised.
The company in question, Optus, confirmed on Thursday that personal details, including passport and licence numbers, and home addresses of more than 2.8 million of its customers were leaked during the cyberattack.
It is also estimated that seven million customers’ dates of birth, email addresses, and phone numbers were affected.
‘If you are an Optus customer, your name, date of birth, phone number, and email addresses may have been released. For some customers, identity document numbers such as driver's licence or passport numbers could now be in the hands of criminals.’ Scamwatch confirmed.
‘It is important to be aware that you may be at risk of identity theft. Please take urgent action to prevent harm.’
The mega-telco company has confirmed the data breach. Source: Unsplash
Optus stated that it was ‘investigating the possible unauthorised access of current and former customers’ information’.
‘We are devastated to discover that we have been subject of a cyberattack that has resulted in the disclosure of our customer's personal information to someone who shouldn’t see it.’ Optus CEO Kelly Bayer Rosmarin said.
‘As soon as we knew, we took action to block the attack and began an immediate investigation.
While not everyone may be affected and our investigation is not yet complete, we want all of our customers to be aware of what has happened as soon as possible so that they can increase their vigilance.’
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) warned that cyber criminals could have sufficient means to steal the identities of up to nine million Optus customers.
The consumer watchdog’s Deputy Chair Delia Rickard detailed that the cyber attack is a serious concern due to the massive amount of personal information that the fraudsters could have accessed.
‘These are all the things that you need for identity theft and also all the things you need to personalise a scam and make it much more convincing.’ she said.
Optus assured that the payment details and account passwords have not been affected by the data breach – along with Optus services, including mobile and home internet.
The data of over nine million current and past Optus customers is at risk. Source: ZDNET
‘Optus has also notified key financial institutions about this matter.’ Rosmarin said.
‘While we are not aware of customers having suffered any harm, we encourage them to have heightened awareness across their accounts, including looking out for unusual or fraudulent activity and any notifications which seem odd or suspicious.’
‘We are very sorry and understand that customers will be concerned. Please be assured that we are working hard to help safeguard our customers as much as possible.’
A spokesperson for Minister for Cybersecurity Clare O’Neil revealed that they are fully aware of the incident.
‘The Australian Cybersecurity Centre is providing cybersecurity advice and technical assistance. Specific enquiries related to this incident should be directed to Optus Australia.’
Australian Federal Police, the Office of the Australian Information Regulator and other key regulators have also been notified.
What can I do to protect myself?
Scamwatch has advised Optus customers to secure their personal information by updating their passwords and enabling multi-factor authentication for banking.
Affected customers should also place limits on bank accounts, keep an eagle eye out for any unusual activities, and request a ban on credit reports if anything is suspected.
‘If you are concerned that your identity has been compromised or you have been a victim of a scam, contact your bank immediately and call IDCARE on 1800 595 160. IDCARE is Australia’s national identity and cyber support service.’ Scamwatch advises on its website.
The federal opposition described the incident as a wake-up call for tougher privacy and data laws.
While the government is set to review data security on social media platforms such as TikTok, it won’t be completed until the following year, the opposition’s spokeswoman Sarah Henderson said.
‘This is all too little, too late. Rather than kick the can down the road, Labor must urgently consider all regulatory options and act immediately to improve the privacy and safety of Australians online.’ she demanded.
Senator Henderson said the opposition had been raising the concern for months, begging the Albanese government to implement tougher online privacy and data protection laws.
The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner said it would engage with Optus to ensure compliance with the requirements of the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme. Under the framework, organisations covered by the Privacy Act are required to notify affected individuals about cyber attacks immediately.
Please be wary, everyone!
What are your thoughts about this incident? Are you a previous or current Optus customer? Should the government prioritise the implementation of tougher cyber laws? Let us know in the comments!
Learn more about the cyber attack by watching the video below:
Source: 7News
