‘Depraved': Childcare reform brought into question following sickening child sex abuse allegations
This comes as an accused childcare worker is facing more than 70 child sex offences against eight victims.
'Why has it taken the sicking allegations of child sexual abuse … for this country to now and only now start asking questions about some of the things that go on in some of these places where parents pay to have their children cared for.' Mr Price told Sky News Australia.
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‘Disappointing, frustrating': How Qantas data breach exposes deep flaws in Australia's cyber defences
The cyberattack targeting the personal data of customers with Qantas is the latest in a string of breaches affecting millions of Australians, as hackers target major companies and exploit weak spots in the systems they rely on. The breach, detected by the Flying Kangaroo on June 30, originated from a third-party customer servicing platform used by one of the airline's contact centres. Cybersecurity experts said the breach is part of a much broader problem - and corporate Australia is falling short. Dr Hammond Pearce, a lecturer in computer science and engineering at UNSW, told NewsWire the embarrassing incident at Qantas highlights a dangerous complacency among major companies. 'It's disappointing and frustrating that a company of this size and means, one which has tremendous importance to everyday Australians, is unable to safeguard our data,' Dr Hammond said. Although contained, the latest attack may have compromised names, phone numbers, email addresses, dates of birth, and frequent flyer numbers. Credit card details, passports, and login credentials were not affected. The suspected culprits are the cybercrime group Scattered Spider, known for targeting large organisations through helpdesk systems operated by third-party platforms, often using sophisticated social engineering techniques. The breach comes amid a significant surge in cyberattacks across Australian sectors. In April this year, thousands of AustralianSuper and Rest members were affected by 'credential stuffing' attacks, where hackers used stolen login details from past breaches to access accounts. The attackers siphoned off $500,000 from just four accounts. The Australian Signals Directorate, a Federal Government intelligence agency, responded to over 1100 cyber security incidents and 36,700 hotline calls in 2023–24, a 12 per cent jump on the previous year. Data breach notifications spiked 15 per cent in the second half of 2024. Healthcare remains the most targeted industry, with 102 reported breaches in the latter half of last year. Financial institutions and manufacturers are also under siege, with attackers exploiting stolen credentials, ransomware, and legacy technologies to halt operations or access sensitive information. Dr Hammond said it's becoming clear that large datasets of personal information, like names, birth dates, and phone numbers, should be 'treated as liabilities, not assets.' 'In Australia, as in many countries, the mass collection and retention of data is usually encouraged from a business point of view. 'Only the government has the abilities to bring in privacy-first rules which can motivate changes to this practice,' he said, urging regulatory reform to force companies to treat personal data with the seriousness it deserves. He warned that the accumulation of personal data is not only a risk in itself but a direct path to further harm. 'There is the very real potential for down-stream attacks whereby the stolen data is used for scams and other schemes; they might reach out to you pretending to be someone they are not,' he said. Dr Hammond said that while Qantas acted appropriately after discovering the breach, its overall cybersecurity posture was 'insufficient' — a pattern seen repeatedly across Australian organisations. 'Qantas is not alone in this regard, it is just the latest in a long string of companies which have had data breaches, and it is fast becoming time for a proper regulatory overhaul to require that these companies treat our data with the concern that it deserves,' he said. The Qantas breach follows a rising number of incidents linked to third-party vendors. Experts say supply chain vulnerabilities now account for the majority of data breaches in Australia, and organisations must hold external providers to the same high cybersecurity standards as internal systems. Stephen Kho, cybersecurity expert at Avast, told Newswire that businesses must go beyond simply defending against threats and start preparing. 'Businesses, no matter their size, need to accept that cyberattacks are no longer a matter of 'if', but 'when'. That means shifting from a purely defensive mindset to one of preparation and resilience,' Mr Kho said. While AI was not involved in the Qantas incident, cybersecurity professionals are increasingly warning that artificial intelligence will supercharge future threats. Scammers are now using AI to craft phishing messages, mimic voices, and even create deepfakes to deceive victims. As the technology advances, impersonation attacks and targeted scams are becoming harder to detect and more damaging. 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‘These attacks are going to continue': Qantas cyber breach impacts six million
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The Advertiser
14 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Calls grow to back safety over access in childcare
Australians are being urged to prioritise safety over increased access to childcare following horrifying allegations of sexual abuse within early education. The federal government has promised to deliver universal access early education, but parents' trust in the system has been shaken after a Victorian childcare worker was charged with more than 70 sex offences against children. Education Minister Jason Clare vowed to fast-track measures aimed at strengthening childcare centre safety standards and conceded change had been too slow. On Sunday, opposition frontbencher Melissa McIntosh raised the pace of reform and questioned whether Labor had its priorities in order. "Their top priority should be the safety of our children," she told the ABC. "The government has this mandate to increase childcare in this country, to have more children in childcare. "Why is that their top priority?" The coalition has promised to support any reforms that would help protect children as the government prepares to expedite its childcare safety legislation when parliament returns on July 22. Any childcare operators who persistently fail to meet minimum standards would be prevented from opening new centres. Repeat offenders or those with egregious and continued breaches would be cut off from the government's childcare subsidy funding. The Victorian government also unveiled its own reforms which include a register of childcare workers and educators, a ban on personal mobile phones in centres and mandatory CCTV. Following the sexual abuse allegations, many parents have become hesitant to leave their children with childcare providers, but the growing cost of living has left them with no choice, federal cabinet minister Kristy McBain said. "We have to make sure that parents have trust in that system," she told Sky News. "There's some work to do here, but we will work really hard because what we've seen afforded is every parents' worst nightmare." Changes to working with children checks will be discussed at the next meeting of state and territory attorneys-general, and a national childcare safety crackdown is under way with the first stage focusing on stricter recommendations for photography, filming and mandatory reporting rules. Some parents have called for men to be banned from working in childcare, but the government does not believe it is the solution to child safety and members of the coalition have also been hesitant. The Victorian allegations follow the arrest and charging of a Brisbane childcare worker last year, who was accused of more than 300 offences against 60 children at a range of centres. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028 Australians are being urged to prioritise safety over increased access to childcare following horrifying allegations of sexual abuse within early education. The federal government has promised to deliver universal access early education, but parents' trust in the system has been shaken after a Victorian childcare worker was charged with more than 70 sex offences against children. Education Minister Jason Clare vowed to fast-track measures aimed at strengthening childcare centre safety standards and conceded change had been too slow. On Sunday, opposition frontbencher Melissa McIntosh raised the pace of reform and questioned whether Labor had its priorities in order. "Their top priority should be the safety of our children," she told the ABC. "The government has this mandate to increase childcare in this country, to have more children in childcare. "Why is that their top priority?" The coalition has promised to support any reforms that would help protect children as the government prepares to expedite its childcare safety legislation when parliament returns on July 22. Any childcare operators who persistently fail to meet minimum standards would be prevented from opening new centres. Repeat offenders or those with egregious and continued breaches would be cut off from the government's childcare subsidy funding. The Victorian government also unveiled its own reforms which include a register of childcare workers and educators, a ban on personal mobile phones in centres and mandatory CCTV. Following the sexual abuse allegations, many parents have become hesitant to leave their children with childcare providers, but the growing cost of living has left them with no choice, federal cabinet minister Kristy McBain said. "We have to make sure that parents have trust in that system," she told Sky News. "There's some work to do here, but we will work really hard because what we've seen afforded is every parents' worst nightmare." Changes to working with children checks will be discussed at the next meeting of state and territory attorneys-general, and a national childcare safety crackdown is under way with the first stage focusing on stricter recommendations for photography, filming and mandatory reporting rules. Some parents have called for men to be banned from working in childcare, but the government does not believe it is the solution to child safety and members of the coalition have also been hesitant. The Victorian allegations follow the arrest and charging of a Brisbane childcare worker last year, who was accused of more than 300 offences against 60 children at a range of centres. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028 Australians are being urged to prioritise safety over increased access to childcare following horrifying allegations of sexual abuse within early education. The federal government has promised to deliver universal access early education, but parents' trust in the system has been shaken after a Victorian childcare worker was charged with more than 70 sex offences against children. Education Minister Jason Clare vowed to fast-track measures aimed at strengthening childcare centre safety standards and conceded change had been too slow. On Sunday, opposition frontbencher Melissa McIntosh raised the pace of reform and questioned whether Labor had its priorities in order. "Their top priority should be the safety of our children," she told the ABC. "The government has this mandate to increase childcare in this country, to have more children in childcare. "Why is that their top priority?" The coalition has promised to support any reforms that would help protect children as the government prepares to expedite its childcare safety legislation when parliament returns on July 22. Any childcare operators who persistently fail to meet minimum standards would be prevented from opening new centres. Repeat offenders or those with egregious and continued breaches would be cut off from the government's childcare subsidy funding. The Victorian government also unveiled its own reforms which include a register of childcare workers and educators, a ban on personal mobile phones in centres and mandatory CCTV. Following the sexual abuse allegations, many parents have become hesitant to leave their children with childcare providers, but the growing cost of living has left them with no choice, federal cabinet minister Kristy McBain said. "We have to make sure that parents have trust in that system," she told Sky News. "There's some work to do here, but we will work really hard because what we've seen afforded is every parents' worst nightmare." Changes to working with children checks will be discussed at the next meeting of state and territory attorneys-general, and a national childcare safety crackdown is under way with the first stage focusing on stricter recommendations for photography, filming and mandatory reporting rules. Some parents have called for men to be banned from working in childcare, but the government does not believe it is the solution to child safety and members of the coalition have also been hesitant. The Victorian allegations follow the arrest and charging of a Brisbane childcare worker last year, who was accused of more than 300 offences against 60 children at a range of centres. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028 Australians are being urged to prioritise safety over increased access to childcare following horrifying allegations of sexual abuse within early education. The federal government has promised to deliver universal access early education, but parents' trust in the system has been shaken after a Victorian childcare worker was charged with more than 70 sex offences against children. Education Minister Jason Clare vowed to fast-track measures aimed at strengthening childcare centre safety standards and conceded change had been too slow. On Sunday, opposition frontbencher Melissa McIntosh raised the pace of reform and questioned whether Labor had its priorities in order. "Their top priority should be the safety of our children," she told the ABC. "The government has this mandate to increase childcare in this country, to have more children in childcare. "Why is that their top priority?" The coalition has promised to support any reforms that would help protect children as the government prepares to expedite its childcare safety legislation when parliament returns on July 22. Any childcare operators who persistently fail to meet minimum standards would be prevented from opening new centres. Repeat offenders or those with egregious and continued breaches would be cut off from the government's childcare subsidy funding. The Victorian government also unveiled its own reforms which include a register of childcare workers and educators, a ban on personal mobile phones in centres and mandatory CCTV. Following the sexual abuse allegations, many parents have become hesitant to leave their children with childcare providers, but the growing cost of living has left them with no choice, federal cabinet minister Kristy McBain said. "We have to make sure that parents have trust in that system," she told Sky News. "There's some work to do here, but we will work really hard because what we've seen afforded is every parents' worst nightmare." Changes to working with children checks will be discussed at the next meeting of state and territory attorneys-general, and a national childcare safety crackdown is under way with the first stage focusing on stricter recommendations for photography, filming and mandatory reporting rules. Some parents have called for men to be banned from working in childcare, but the government does not believe it is the solution to child safety and members of the coalition have also been hesitant. The Victorian allegations follow the arrest and charging of a Brisbane childcare worker last year, who was accused of more than 300 offences against 60 children at a range of centres. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
