A significant attack on the nation’s second-largest provider may have exposed sensitive information on roughly 10 million Australian telecom subscribers, the company Optus said on Friday.
A “sophisticated” adversary, according to chief executive Kelly Bayer Rosmarin, was responsible for a breach that exposed data on as many as 9.8 million people.
The data accessed included customers’ names, dates of birth, phone numbers, and email addresses, as well as some driver’s licenses and passport numbers.
No passwords or bank details were taken, according to the Singapore-owned firm.
It is not yet clear whether the attack came from a state-based or criminal organization, but Bayer Rosmarin said no ransom demand had been made.
“It’s too early to rule out any possibility,” she said, adding that police and the Australian government were investigating.
The identity of the attackers and their intended use of the material are yet unknown.
Nearly half of all Australians who could have been affected were forewarned by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission that they might be vulnerable to identity theft.
Customers of Optus should act right away to secure all of their accounts, especially their bank and financial accounts. Additionally, you should keep an eye out for any strange activity on your accounts and be wary of any contact from con artists, the watchdog advised.
