Qantas 'contacted by potential cybercriminal' after attack on data of up to 6 million customers
Photo:
AFP
Qantas says it has been contacted by "a potential cybercriminal" less than a week after revealing a "significant" breach and theft of data on up to 6 million of its customers from its records during a cyber attack.
The airline said in a statement on Monday that it is working to verify the legitimacy of the contact and have contacted the Australian Federal Police (AFP).
It has not confirmed the nature of the contact or whether a ransom was sought.
A spokesperson for the AFP told the ABC that it was investigating the contact.
"The airline has been highly engaged in assisting authorities and the AFP with investigating this incident," a statement said.
The update comes after the airline detected unusual activity on a third-party platform used by a Qantas contact centre.
Qantas said last week
that it was investigating the proportion of the data that had been stolen, though it expected it would be "significant".
The airline said that it was continuing to work with "specialist cybersecurity experts to forensically analyse the impacted system".
That investigation has determined that the system was now secure and no credit card details, personal financial information or passport details were accessed in the breach.
"We want to reassure all of our customers that there is no impact to Qantas' operations or the safety of our airline," Qantas said in a statement.
On Friday Qantas chief executive Vanessa Hudson
issued an apology
to the airline's customers, saying the business takes matters of cybersecurity "incredibly seriously".
"What I would first like to say is acknowledge the impact to all our customers and, first and foremost, I'd like to apologise to them," she said in an interview with Channel Seven in Athens.
"I know this data breach is a serious concern. I know the stress that it has created for many, many millions of customers.
"And so, right up front, I want to say we take this seriously and we are going to do everything that we can to communicate transparently."
- ABC
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Qantas says it takes matters of cybersecurity "incredibly seriously". Photo: AFP Qantas says it has been contacted by "a potential cybercriminal" less than a week after revealing a "significant" breach and theft of data on up to 6 million of its customers from its records during a cyber attack. The airline said in a statement on Monday that it is working to verify the legitimacy of the contact and have contacted the Australian Federal Police (AFP). It has not confirmed the nature of the contact or whether a ransom was sought. A spokesperson for the AFP told the ABC that it was investigating the contact. "The airline has been highly engaged in assisting authorities and the AFP with investigating this incident," a statement said. The update comes after the airline detected unusual activity on a third-party platform used by a Qantas contact centre. Qantas said last week that it was investigating the proportion of the data that had been stolen, though it expected it would be "significant". The airline said that it was continuing to work with "specialist cybersecurity experts to forensically analyse the impacted system". That investigation has determined that the system was now secure and no credit card details, personal financial information or passport details were accessed in the breach. "We want to reassure all of our customers that there is no impact to Qantas' operations or the safety of our airline," Qantas said in a statement. On Friday Qantas chief executive Vanessa Hudson issued an apology to the airline's customers, saying the business takes matters of cybersecurity "incredibly seriously". "What I would first like to say is acknowledge the impact to all our customers and, first and foremost, I'd like to apologise to them," she said in an interview with Channel Seven in Athens. "I know this data breach is a serious concern. I know the stress that it has created for many, many millions of customers. "And so, right up front, I want to say we take this seriously and we are going to do everything that we can to communicate transparently." - ABC
