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Qantas Confirms Customer Data Released by Hackers Months After Cyber Breach

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Australia’s national airline, Qantas Airways, has confirmed that customer data stolen during a July cyberattack has now been released online by cybercriminals. The airline said it was one of several companies targeted globally in the breach, which compromised the personal information of millions of passengers.

In the July incident, Qantas revealed that over one million customers had sensitive data — including phone numbers, dates of birth, and home addresses — accessed by hackers. An additional four million customers had their names and email addresses stolen, marking one of the largest data breaches in Australia’s recent history.

Qantas said the data was stolen through a third-party platform and has since been published by the hacker group known as Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters after the company missed a ransom deadline. “With the help of specialist cybersecurity experts, we are investigating what data was part of the release,” Qantas said in a statement.

The airline also confirmed that an injunction remains in place to prevent the use or further distribution of the stolen information. The July attack is among the most serious since cyber incidents targeting telecom firm Optus and health insurer Medibank in 2022, which led to tighter cybersecurity laws in Australia.

GE Aerospace’s FlightPulse app soars past 60,000 pilots as adoption accelerates

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GE Aerospace has seen rapid growth in the use of its FlightPulse app, with more than 60,000 commercial pilots now using the tool — up from 40,000 a year ago — and the number expected to exceed 70,000 by the end of 2025, the company said.

The data-driven flight monitoring app, launched in partnership with Qantas in 2017, allows pilots to review their own flight performance, compare it with peers, and identify ways to improve efficiency and safety. Airlines pay GE a per-pilot licensing fee to access the platform, which has helped strengthen the company’s reputation for aviation safety and sustainability.

Qantas captain Mark Cameron said FlightPulse helps him analyze details such as takeoff and landing angles, crucial for avoiding tail strikes on smaller aircraft like the Airbus A321. The airline also uses aggregated app data to optimize flight operations, cutting fuel costs by encouraging pilots to use less reverse thrust where safe.

According to Andrew Coleman, head of GE Aerospace’s Software-as-a-Service division, FlightPulse is now used by 42 airlines, including Delta Air Lines and NetJets, with fleets ranging from a few hundred to over 15,000 pilots. Coleman said the company aims to reach 100,000 pilots by 2026, emphasizing that the app’s goal is performance improvement — not punitive monitoring.

Accenture to Acquire Australian Cybersecurity Firm CyberCX in $650 Million Deal

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Accenture (ACN.N) announced on Thursday that it will acquire Australian cybersecurity company CyberCX in what represents its largest-ever deal in the sector. The Australian Financial Review reported the transaction is valued at over A$1 billion ($650 million).

The deal highlights the growing demand for advanced cybersecurity services as businesses face increasingly sophisticated digital threats. Australia has seen a series of high-profile cyberattacks, including the 2022 Optus breach that exposed data of up to 10 million users, and a Medibank hack affecting nearly 10 million customers. In July, Qantas Airways also reported a breach of one of its call centres, impacting six million customers.

Melbourne-based CyberCX was created in 2019 through the merger of 12 smaller cybersecurity firms backed by private equity firm BGH Capital, which is selling the company. CyberCX employs around 1,400 staff and operates security operations centres across Australia and New Zealand, with additional offices in London and New York.

The company is led by John Paitaridis, formerly managing director of Optus Business, and Chief Strategy Officer Alastair MacGibbon, who previously served as Australia’s national cybersecurity coordinator. Their experience is notable given Optus’ 2022 data breach that compromised names, dates of birth, addresses, phone numbers, emails, and passport and driver’s license information.

Accenture has been actively expanding its security services, completing 20 acquisitions in the sector since 2015, including Brazilian firm Morphus, MNEMO Mexico, and Spain-based Innotec Security. Domestically, Accenture signed a $700 million collaborative agreement with Telstra in February to implement AI capabilities across the telecommunications company.