Qantas faces fallout from massive privacy breach involving rogue contractors
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In an age where our personal information is as valuable as currency, a breach of privacy can send shockwaves through our lives, leaving us feeling vulnerable and exposed.
Recent news of a massive privacy breach is particularly unsettling for those who have flown with Qantas, Australia's flagship carrier.
The breach, which has sent ripples of concern across the aviation industry, involved rogue contractors who exploited their positions to steal frequent-flyer points from unsuspecting passengers.
The national carrier has also confirmed to the Daily Telegraph that some customers' passport details may have been compromised in this cyber theft, which involved staff from an Indian ground-handling company.
The two contractors in question were employed by India SATS, a joint venture between India's main airline and SATS, Singapore's biggest ground-handling company.
Their inappropriate conduct included accessing and making unauthorised changes to customer bookings.
Qantas has quickly apologised to the 800 customers affected by the fraudulent activity, which has also affected several other airlines.
'This was not a cyber hack or data theft, but a case of two rogue employees of one of our suppliers abusing their position to steal frequent-flyer points fraudulently,' a Qantas spokesperson stated.
‘The activity was stopped back in August, with affected bookings remedied and points provided to our members.’
‘We are not aware of any current bookings being impacted. The police investigation in India is ongoing.'
The airline has taken steps to remedy the affected bookings and has returned the stolen points to its members.
The breach was halted in August, and Qantas has been working with partner airlines to tighten security and prevent future incidents.
The airline has reassured customers that no further unauthorised activity has occurred since the initial breach and that the police investigation in India is ongoing.
‘As soon as we became aware of this, we worked closely with our airline partners to secure their systems to prevent this issue from happening again,’ the spokesperson added.
‘Customers have received the full points and status credits they were entitled to for their travel.’
Qantas has implemented additional measures for those concerned about the security of their personal information.
Now, changes to frequent-flyer details require calling the contact centre and verifying one's identity, an extra layer of protection for customers' accounts.
Reports have emerged that former CEO Alan Joyce, who received a substantial sum during his tenure, is gearing up for potential fallout from releasing a book that critiques the airline's management and practices.
According to reports, Joyce earned $3.4 million during his final three months at Qantas, received $14.9 million in his last full year, and accumulated around $125 million throughout his time with the company.
In other news, Qantas is updating its Frequent Flyer program to provide more redeemable seats based on customer feedback.
A flight expert noted that the new frequent flyer seats will be pricier than classic rewards but less expensive than the 'points plus pay' options. You can read more about it here.
What are the steps Qantas should be taking to improve passenger information security? How could the recent breach affect customer trust in Qantas and its future? Feel free to share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below.
Recent news of a massive privacy breach is particularly unsettling for those who have flown with Qantas, Australia's flagship carrier.
The breach, which has sent ripples of concern across the aviation industry, involved rogue contractors who exploited their positions to steal frequent-flyer points from unsuspecting passengers.
The national carrier has also confirmed to the Daily Telegraph that some customers' passport details may have been compromised in this cyber theft, which involved staff from an Indian ground-handling company.
Frequent-flyer points were stolen from Qantas customers in a massive privacy breach involving rogue contractors. Credit: Shutterstock
The two contractors in question were employed by India SATS, a joint venture between India's main airline and SATS, Singapore's biggest ground-handling company.
Their inappropriate conduct included accessing and making unauthorised changes to customer bookings.
Qantas has quickly apologised to the 800 customers affected by the fraudulent activity, which has also affected several other airlines.
'This was not a cyber hack or data theft, but a case of two rogue employees of one of our suppliers abusing their position to steal frequent-flyer points fraudulently,' a Qantas spokesperson stated.
‘The activity was stopped back in August, with affected bookings remedied and points provided to our members.’
‘We are not aware of any current bookings being impacted. The police investigation in India is ongoing.'
The airline has taken steps to remedy the affected bookings and has returned the stolen points to its members.
The breach was halted in August, and Qantas has been working with partner airlines to tighten security and prevent future incidents.
The airline has reassured customers that no further unauthorised activity has occurred since the initial breach and that the police investigation in India is ongoing.
‘As soon as we became aware of this, we worked closely with our airline partners to secure their systems to prevent this issue from happening again,’ the spokesperson added.
‘Customers have received the full points and status credits they were entitled to for their travel.’
Qantas has implemented additional measures for those concerned about the security of their personal information.
Now, changes to frequent-flyer details require calling the contact centre and verifying one's identity, an extra layer of protection for customers' accounts.
Reports have emerged that former CEO Alan Joyce, who received a substantial sum during his tenure, is gearing up for potential fallout from releasing a book that critiques the airline's management and practices.
According to reports, Joyce earned $3.4 million during his final three months at Qantas, received $14.9 million in his last full year, and accumulated around $125 million throughout his time with the company.
In other news, Qantas is updating its Frequent Flyer program to provide more redeemable seats based on customer feedback.
A flight expert noted that the new frequent flyer seats will be pricier than classic rewards but less expensive than the 'points plus pay' options. You can read more about it here.
