Major Optus Data Breach
Major Optus Data Breach Optus is in major damage control after hackers accessed the personal details of up to nine million current and past customers. The stolen information includes phone numbers, drivers licences and passport numbers. Banks have been notified and Australia’s spy agencies called in to help the telco with the Optus data breach.
It has been suggested human error may have been behind the Optus data breach. Days after sensitive customer information was leaked, including passport and driverās licence numbers, an anonymous source within the company has pointed the finger at IT programmers.
A āsenior insiderā at Optus said an error made by a programmer may have opened the door for hackers. However, this Optus data breach, like most, appears to come down to human error,ā the source said.
They claimed programmers were attempting to open up the Optus customer identity database to other systems via an application programming interface. While it was believed the process would only grant access to authorised company systems, outsiders may have been granted access via a test network.
āEventually one of the networks it was exposed to was a test network, which happened to have internet access,ā the source said.
Australian Federal Police have launched a probe after receiving a referral from Optus about the alleged āmass data breachā. āThe AFP will work with Optus to obtain the crucial information and evidence needed to conduct this complex, criminal investigation,ā a statement on Friday read.
āThe AFPās specialist cyber command will work closely with a number of agencies, including the Australian Signals Directorate.ā
Ms Bayer-Rosmarin apologised said the Optus hack āshould not have happenedā.
āIām disappointed that we couldnāt prevent it,ā she said.
āIt undermines all the great work weāve been doing to be a pioneer in this industry, be a challenger, and create new and wonderful experiences for our customers. Iām really sorry.ā
The Optus data breach could have wide-reaching consequences for both private and small business customers, Ms Bayer-Rosmarin acknowledged.
In an āabsolute worst case scenarioā, 9.8 million customers were affected, although Ms Bayer-Rosmarin cautioned that authorities were still investigating the Optus data breach and the full impact was not yet known.
Unconfirmed screengrabs from a dark web hacker forum show cyber criminals claiming to have access to one million Optus phone numbers. Ms Bayer-Rosmarin urged customers to be on the watch for suspicious contacts in the near future, fearing bad actors who access the stolen data could use it to place scam calls.
āWhat customers can do is just be vigilant,ā she said.
āIt really is about increased vigilance, and being alert to any activity that seems suspicious or odd or out of the ordinary.
āIf somebody calls you and says they want to connect to your computer and says to give them your password or let them in, donāt allow that to occur.ā Customers who have been affected will be contacted by Optus in the coming days.