Nearly 10 million people in Australia are at risk of having their information stolen by hackers

On September 23, Optus, Australia’s second-largest telecommunications company, said it would contact 9.8 million customers whose information was stolen in one of the country’s biggest hacks.

In an announcement on September 23, Optus Director Kelly Bayer Rosmarin said that 9.8 million files containing customer information were compromised by hackers. Specifically, about 2.8 million customers are said to have had all their personal information stolen by hackers, including passport numbers or driver’s licenses. There were 7.8 million people exposed to additional data such as dates of birth, phone numbers and postal addresses.

However, the company insists that financial record details such as banking information or customer passwords have not been exposed.

Ms. Rosmarin emphasized, Optus is urgently coordinating with agencies of the Government and the Australian federal police to conduct a review of the level of damage as well as investigate the hacker.

So far, Optus has not received any blackmail threats from hackers, but Rosmarin says it’s too early to rule out any possibility.

The sensitive information of nearly 10 million telecom subscribers in Australia may have been compromised. (Photo: Reuters)

The Optus director advised customers to raise awareness of the incident, check their accounts, including looking for unusual or fraudulent activity, and immediately notify authorities if they find anything wrong. any suspicious information.

Regarding the reason for keeping so much customer information, Ms. Rosmarin stated that according to regulations, telecommunications companies are responsible for keeping customer information registered for telecommunications services for 6 years. Optus is still working out the specifics of how hackers used to attack the company’s network.

Previously, in the announcement on the afternoon of September 22, Optus confirmed that it had reported the incident to relevant levels and ensured information disclosure. However, the exact time of this incident has not been disclosed by the company.

Speaking about the incident, Australia’s Minister of Home Affairs and Cybersecurity Clare O’Neil said that it is not possible to conclude that the hacker is an individual, an independent organization or with the support of the state.

The Cybersecurity Center of Australia believes that it is targeting Australian people and organizations through the rapid exploitation of technical vulnerabilities of state organizations.

Ms. O’Neil emphasized that cybercriminals are looking for ways to exploit weaknesses and steal sensitive data.