Following a cyberattack, Optus, one of the largest telecommunications companies in Australia, is investigating the possible unauthorised access of current and former customers’ information.
Upon discovering this, Optus immediately shut down the attack. Optus is working with the Australian Cyber Security Centre to mitigate any risks to customers. Optus has also notified the Australian Federal Police, the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner and key regulators.
“We are devastated to discover that we have been subject to a cyberattack that has resulted in the disclosure of our customers’ personal information to someone who shouldn’t see it,” said Kelly Bayer Rosmarin, Optus CEO.
“As soon as we knew, we took action to block the attack and began an immediate investigation.”
Optus assured its customers that it is working hard and engaging with all the relevant authorities and organisations to help safeguard its customers.
The information which may have been exposed includes customers’ names, dates of birth, phone numbers, email addresses and, for a subset of customers, addresses, ID document numbers such as driver’s licence or passport numbers. Payment detail and account passwords have not been compromised.
Dan Davies, CTO at Maintel, commented on the announcement: “The recent cyberattack on Optus has exposed sensitive information for potentially millions of customers. Although the telco acted fast in responding, it was too late to protect personal data.”
He continued: “Business leaders should take heed and implement the correct tools to protect their systems. It is imperative organisations put in place and update their security infrastructure constantly, as one chink in the armour could lead to a killer blow for the entire organisation.”
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