The Australian airline Qantas has revealed a significant data breach affecting six million customer profiles due to a cyber attack on its third-party service platform.
Qantas Faces Major Data Breach Affecting Up to Six Million Customers
Qantas Faces Major Data Breach Affecting Up to Six Million Customers
Cyber attack compromises extensive customer data but key financial details remain secure.
The Australian airline Qantas has disclosed that up to six million customer profiles may have been compromised following a cyber attack targeting a third-party platform used by their contact center. The breach was detected on June 30, 2023, when Qantas noticed "unusual activity" related to customer data storage. The exposed information includes names, email addresses, phone numbers, birth dates, and frequent flyer numbers.
In response to the breach, Qantas acted swiftly to contain the issue and is currently investigating the full extent of the incident. While the airline has not disclosed the precise scale of the data exposed, it anticipates that a substantial proportion has been accessed. Importantly, Qantas has reassured customers that no sensitive financial information, such as credit card or passport details, was stored on the compromised platform, and no frequent flyer accounts, passwords, or PIN numbers have been affected.
To address the situation, Qantas has notified relevant authorities, including the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Cyber Security Centre, and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner. Vanessa Hudson, the CEO of Qantas Group, issued an apology to customers, acknowledging the distress this incident may cause. She emphasized that the airline's operations and safety remain unaffected.
The Qantas breach adds to a worrying trend of data leaks in Australia this year. Other high-profile incidents include breaches experienced by AustralianSuper and Nine Media. Recent statistics from the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner highlighted that 2024 marked the worst year for data breaches in Australia since records began in 2018. Australian Privacy Commissioner Carly Kind emphasized the need for both private businesses and government entities to enhance their cybersecurity measures, stating that ongoing threats from cybercriminals show no signs of abating.
In response to the breach, Qantas acted swiftly to contain the issue and is currently investigating the full extent of the incident. While the airline has not disclosed the precise scale of the data exposed, it anticipates that a substantial proportion has been accessed. Importantly, Qantas has reassured customers that no sensitive financial information, such as credit card or passport details, was stored on the compromised platform, and no frequent flyer accounts, passwords, or PIN numbers have been affected.
To address the situation, Qantas has notified relevant authorities, including the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Cyber Security Centre, and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner. Vanessa Hudson, the CEO of Qantas Group, issued an apology to customers, acknowledging the distress this incident may cause. She emphasized that the airline's operations and safety remain unaffected.
The Qantas breach adds to a worrying trend of data leaks in Australia this year. Other high-profile incidents include breaches experienced by AustralianSuper and Nine Media. Recent statistics from the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner highlighted that 2024 marked the worst year for data breaches in Australia since records began in 2018. Australian Privacy Commissioner Carly Kind emphasized the need for both private businesses and government entities to enhance their cybersecurity measures, stating that ongoing threats from cybercriminals show no signs of abating.
