Qantas has confirmed a cyber attack affecting six million customer profiles, with data including personal information such as names, emails, and birth dates compromised. No financial data or passwords were stolen, but the breach highlights ongoing security threats in the airline industry.
Qantas Faces Serious Data Breach Affecting Six Million Customers
Qantas Faces Serious Data Breach Affecting Six Million Customers
Major cybersecurity incident at Australian airline reveals customer data vulnerabilities
The Australian airline Qantas has been hit by a substantial data breach affecting up to six million customer profiles. The breach occurred on June 30 when the airline identified "unusual activity" on a third-party customer service platform used by its contact center to store customer information. This incident has led to an urgent reassessment of data security strategies within the aviation sector.
Customers potentially impacted include those whose names, email addresses, birth dates, phone numbers, and frequent flyer numbers were stored in the breached system. In response to the breach, Qantas took swift action to contain the incident and is currently conducting a comprehensive investigation to determine the full scope of the damage.
While Qantas has assured customers that sensitive information such as passport details and credit card information were not compromised, the airline has still reported a significant likelihood of data theft. CEO Vanessa Hudson has personally reached out to customers to convey her apologies and to establish a dedicated support line for those concerned.
Authorities notified about the incident include the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Cyber Security Centre, and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner. This breach is part of a worrying trend, as recent weeks have seen similar attacks on other airlines, such as Hawaiian Airlines and WestJet.
The Qantas data breach adds to a disturbing list of cybersecurity incidents in Australia, which has seen increased attacks throughout 2024. The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner has reported that last year was the worst on record for data breaches, urging both private and public sectors to bolster their security measures in light of the current threats. Australian Privacy Commissioner Carly Kind emphasized the need for proactive safety protocols to protect vulnerable data from malicious entities.
Customers potentially impacted include those whose names, email addresses, birth dates, phone numbers, and frequent flyer numbers were stored in the breached system. In response to the breach, Qantas took swift action to contain the incident and is currently conducting a comprehensive investigation to determine the full scope of the damage.
While Qantas has assured customers that sensitive information such as passport details and credit card information were not compromised, the airline has still reported a significant likelihood of data theft. CEO Vanessa Hudson has personally reached out to customers to convey her apologies and to establish a dedicated support line for those concerned.
Authorities notified about the incident include the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Cyber Security Centre, and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner. This breach is part of a worrying trend, as recent weeks have seen similar attacks on other airlines, such as Hawaiian Airlines and WestJet.
The Qantas data breach adds to a disturbing list of cybersecurity incidents in Australia, which has seen increased attacks throughout 2024. The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner has reported that last year was the worst on record for data breaches, urging both private and public sectors to bolster their security measures in light of the current threats. Australian Privacy Commissioner Carly Kind emphasized the need for proactive safety protocols to protect vulnerable data from malicious entities.
