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Qantas reveals cyber breach exposed personal data of over 5 million customers

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Australia’s Qantas Airways confirmed on Wednesday that a major cyberattack compromised the personal data of approximately 5.7 million customers, marking one of the country’s largest data breaches in recent years. Initially, Qantas reported 6 million records affected but later removed duplicates.

More than one million customers had sensitive details like phone numbers, birth dates, or home addresses accessed. An additional four million customers’ data was limited to names and email addresses.

The airline said there is currently no evidence that the stolen data has been publicly released, and it is actively monitoring the situation to protect affected customers.

“Since the incident, we have implemented several new cybersecurity measures to better safeguard our customers’ data and are thoroughly reviewing the breach,” Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson stated.

This breach follows a wave of high-profile cyberattacks in Australia, including those against telecom giant Optus and health insurer Medibank in 2022, which spurred the introduction of mandatory cyber resilience regulations.

Qantas Contacts Cyber Criminal After Data Breach Affecting Six Million Customers

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Australia’s Qantas has confirmed that a cyber criminal reached out to the airline one week after a major data breach exposed personal information of six million customers. The breach involved a hacker targeting a call centre and accessing a third-party customer service platform containing sensitive details including names, emails, phone numbers, birth dates, and frequent flyer numbers, a Qantas spokesperson told Reuters on Tuesday.

The airline has engaged the Australian Federal Police in the investigation and declined to provide further details on the contact due to the ongoing criminal matter. While there is currently no evidence that the stolen data has been leaked publicly, Qantas is actively monitoring the situation with cyber security experts.

This breach marks one of the most significant cyber attacks in Australia since the 2022 incidents involving telecommunications provider Optus and health insurer Medibank, which led to the introduction of mandatory cyber resilience laws.

The incident poses a challenge for Qantas as it works to restore public confidence after its reputation suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic due to operational disruptions and criticism.

Qantas Suffers Major Cyber Hack Affecting 6 Million Customer Accounts

/in /tarafından

Australian airline Qantas revealed on Wednesday that a cyber hacker accessed a third-party customer service platform used by one of its call centres, compromising the personal data of approximately six million customers. The breach exposed names, email addresses, phone numbers, birth dates, and frequent flyer numbers, marking Australia’s most significant cyberattack in recent years.

Qantas has not disclosed the call centre’s location or the precise number of affected customers but confirmed the breach was discovered after detecting unusual activity. The airline is still investigating the full scope of the stolen data but expects it to be substantial. Importantly, Qantas stated that frequent flyer accounts, passwords, PINs, or login credentials were not accessed, and operations and safety were not impacted.

The incident occurs amid heightened cyber threats targeting airlines worldwide. The FBI recently reported that the hacker group Scattered Spider has targeted airlines such as Hawaiian Airlines and WestJet. While Qantas did not identify the attacker, cybersecurity experts warn that social engineering attacks on airline staff may be involved.

This breach brings unwelcome scrutiny to Qantas, which is recovering from a reputational crisis caused by controversies during the COVID-19 pandemic, including illegal staff layoffs and ticketing issues. Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudson acknowledged the seriousness of the breach and assured customers of the airline’s commitment to protecting personal information. Authorities including the Australian Cyber Security Centre, the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, and the Australian Federal Police have been notified.

Qantas shares fell 2.4% in afternoon trading, while the overall market rose.