Australia's Qantas says 6 million customer accounts accessed in cyber hack
The hacker targeted a call centre and gained access to a third-party customer service platform containing six million names, email addresses, phone numbers, birth dates and frequent flyer numbers, Qantas said in a statement on Wednesday.
The airline did not specify the location of the call centre or customers whose information was compromised. It said it learnt of the breach after detecting unusual activity on the platform and acted immediately to contain it.
"We are continuing to investigate the proportion of the data that has been stolen, though we expect it will be significant," Qantas said, reporting no impact on operations or safety.
Last week, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation said cybercrime group Scattered Spider was targeting airlines and that Hawaiian Airlines and Canada's WestJet had already reported breaches. Qantas did not name any group.
"What makes this trend particularly alarming is its scale and coordination, with fresh reports that Qantas is the latest victim" of a hack, said Mark Thomas, Australia director of security services for cyber security firm Arctic Wolf.
Scattered Spider hackers are known to impersonate a company's tech staff to gain employee passwords and "it is plausible they are executing a similar playbook", Thomas said.
Charles Carmakal, chief technology officer of Alphabet-owned cybersecurity firm Mandiant, said it was too soon to say if Scattered Spider was responsible but "global airline organisations should be on high alert of social engineering attacks."
Qantas' share price was down 2.4 per cent in afternoon trading against an overall market that was up 0.8 per cent.
UNWELCOME ATTENTION
The breach is Australia's most high-profile since those of telecommunications network operator Optus and health insurance leader Medibank in 2022 prompted cyber resilience laws including mandatory reporting of compliance and incidents.
It brings unwelcome attention to Qantas which is trying to win public trust after actions during and after the COVID-19 pandemic saw it plunge on airline and brand league tables.
Qantas was found to have illegally sacked thousands of ground workers during the 2020 border closure while collecting government stimulus payments. It also admitted selling thousands of tickets for already-cancelled flights.
The airline drew the ire of opposition politicians who said it lobbied the federal government in 2022 to refuse a request from Qatar Airways to sell more flights. Qantas denied pressuring the government which eventually refused the request - a move the consumer regulator said hurt price competition.
Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudson has improved the airline's public standing since taking office in 2023, reputation measures showed.
"We recognise the uncertainty this will cause," Hudson said of the data breach. "Our customers trust us with their personal information and we take that responsibility seriously."
Qantas said it notified the Australian Cyber Security Centre, the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner and the Australian Federal Police.
ACSC declined to comment and AFP said only that it was aware of the incident. The OAIC was not immediately available for comment.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
4 hours ago
- The Sun
China spares major cognac makers from EU brandy dumping duties
SHANGHAI: China spared major cognac producers Pernod Ricard, LVMH and Remy Cointreau from new duties of up to 35% on EU brandy on Friday, easing trade tensions with Brussels as Beijing seeks to resolve a separate row over tariffs on Chinese-made EVs. China will levy duties of up to 34.9% for a period of five years from July 5, 2025 on brandy originating in the European Union, most of it cognac from France, the Chinese Commerce Ministry said in a final ruling. But most of France's cognac industry including big brands LVMH-owned Hennessy and Remy Martin will be exempt from the duties provided they sell at a minimum price, the ministry said in a statement. It did not disclose the minimum prices. Beijing launched its anti-dumping probe on EU brandy in January last year, in what was widely viewed as retaliation for the EU's decision to impose hefty import tariffs on China-made EVs. French cognac makers generate global exports of $3 billion a year combined. They have complained they are collateral damage in the broader trade row between Brussels and Beijing. In addition to the reprieve, China's commerce ministry will also give back deposits made by brandymakers since October 2024, when provisional duties were imposed. The refund issue, which weighed particularly heavily on smaller producers, was one of the sticking points in months-long negotiations, two industry sources said. Remy Martin-owner Remy Cointreau said in a statement that the deal on minimum price commitments constituted 'a substantially less punitive alternative' thus enabling 'the strengthening of some investments in China.' Even so, an EU spokesperson said the tariffs were unfair and unjustified. The move comes as China's foreign minister Wang Yi is visiting Europe this week seeking to lay the groundwork for a summit between EU and Chinese leaders later this month, with the EV dispute and China's curbs on the export of rare earths high on the agenda. Wang was due to meet his French counterpart in Paris later on Friday. Last week, Reuters reported that French cognac makers had reached a tentative deal on minimum import prices for the Chinese market, but that China would only finalise the deal if progress was made regarding EU tariffs on Chinese-made EVs. Pernod Ricard said it regrets the increase in the cost of operating in China but additional costs are significantly less than would be the case if tariffs had been made permanent. LVMH and Campari did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Friday. INVESTOR RELIEF Shares of French spirits makers were mixed as investors digested the ruling, with many relieved Beijing had agreed to drop tariffs in return for price commitments. Monthly cognac exports to China, the world's most valuable market for the spirit, have fallen by as much as 70% due to the trade dispute, according to data from the Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac (BNIC), a French cognac industry group. Remy Cointreau shares were up 0.54% and Pernod was down 0.3%, having regained some ground lost earlier in the day. LVMH was down 1.5%. European spirits makers have also been grappling with a downturn in sales in the United States where inflation has deterred drinkers from pricier spirits. President Donald Trump has also threatened tariffs on imports from the EU. The minimum price pledges could translate into some price increases, but they will likely be small and it is too early to tell whether there could be an impact on shelf prices, a senior industry source with knowledge of the China negotiations said. 'The French government has been raising this repeatedly with the Chinese government and saying this is a major bone of contention,' said a senior French industry source with knowledge of the China negotiations, who declined to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter. 'I think both sides, France and China, did not want this to get out of hand, they wanted to find a resolution.' BNIC said that the deal for minimum price commitments will be 'less unfavourable' than anti-dumping duties, but still worse for its members than the historical pre-investigation norm. 'This is why we renew our call to the French government and the European Commission to reach a political agreement with the Chinese authorities as soon as possible to return to a situation without anti-dumping duties,' BNIC said in a statement. - Reuters
The Star
5 hours ago
- The Star
Motor racing-Alpine appoint Nielsen to run F1 team day-to-day
FILE PHOTO: Formula One F1 - F1 75 Live Season Launch - The O2, London, Britain - February 18, 2025 The Alpine car is revealed during the launch REUTERS/Andrew Boyers/File Photo SILVERSTONE, England (Reuters) -Renault-owned Alpine appointed former sporting director Steve Nielsen on Friday to handle the day-to-day running of the Formula One team following the departure of principal Oliver Oakes. The Enstone-based team, effectively run by executive adviser and former principal Flavio Briatore who will continue to have overall charge, said Nielsen would start work as managing director on September 1. Nielsen has most recently been working for Liberty Media-owned Formula One, after a brief period as sporting director at the governing FIA. He was also sporting director when Renault won championships in 2005 and 2006 under Briatore. Alpine, last in the constructors' championship but switching to Mercedes engines next year, also appointed Kris Midgley as head of aerodynamic development. Midgley previously worked at Ferrari as principal aerodynamicist and is also returning to the Enstone factory after a stint from 2007-13. Oakes, the team's fifth boss in four turbulent seasons, resigned in May for personal reasons after being appointed in July last year. (Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Christian Radnedge)
New Straits Times
5 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Alpine appoint Nielsen to run F1 team day-to-day
SILVERSTONE, (England): Renault-owned Alpine appointed former sporting director Steve Nielsen on Friday to handle the day-to-day running of the Formula One team following the departure of principal Oliver Oakes. The Enstone-based team, effectively run by executive adviser and former principal Flavio Briatore who will continue to have overall charge, said Nielsen would start work as managing director on September 1. Nielsen has most recently been working for Liberty Media-owned Formula One, after a brief period as sporting director at the governing FIA. He was also sporting director when Renault won championships in 2005 and 2006 under Briatore. Alpine, last in the constructors' championship but switching to Mercedes engines next year, also appointed Kris Midgley as head of aerodynamic development. Midgley previously worked at Ferrari as principal aerodynamicist and is also returning to the Enstone factory after a stint from 2007-13. Oakes, the team's fifth boss in four turbulent seasons, resigned in May for personal reasons after being appointed in July last year.
