Latest news with #VanessaHudson
The Advertiser
2 days ago
- The Advertiser
Why I've been up all night plotting revenge on Qantas
This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to I spent the night fantasising about catching the thief. I'd easily overpower him, of course. He wouldn't know what hit him. I'd smack him in the chops once or twice, truss him nice and tight with rope so rough it would leave burn marks and then call the cops. That's the nice thing about fantasies. Old blokes with dodgy backs and arthritic shoulders are transformed into expert kung fu practitioners with supernaturally fast reflexes. But as the evening wore on, the fantasy darkened. I'd delay that call to the police. First, I'd interrogate my whimpering victim. Make him squirm, even wet his pants. Find out where he lived. Promise I'd pay him another visit. Let him experience the vulnerability and fear he'd instilled in my daughter by stealing the spare keys and security swipe to her apartment. She'd rung me earlier in tears. She lives alone. A locksmith wasn't available until the following day, and she feared the sound of her door lock being jiggled during the night. So I spent that night at her place, sharing her sense of being violated and consumed with thoughts of revenge. The next da,y an email arrived from the CEO of Qantas, Vanessa Hudson, confirming I was among the 5.7 million Australians whose personal frequent flyer information had been compromised in yet another corporate data breach. Cue another sleepless night fantasising about vengeance. But this time it wouldn't just be the cyber criminals who hacked their way into a "third party platform" - a Qantas call centre in Manila - who would feel my wrath. Retribution would also be visited upon the entire corporate sector, whose negligence and penny-pinching continue leaving us exposed and vulnerable. Barely a week passes without a major company releasing another slickly worded, legally vetted hollow apology confirming customer identities are floating around the dark web, available for purchase to the highest bidder, all courtesy of a failure to implement tighter security measures. The latest Qantas breach isn't just another technical failure. It's symbolic of a wider rot that has crept into corporate culture - businesses refusing to grasp the obvious that investing heavily in robust encryption and state of the art security systems is a revenue-enhancing strategy, not a cost centre. Data protection builds trust. Trust builds loyalty. Loyalty builds repeat business. It's the equivalent of food safety in restaurants. Poison a customer? You'll be closed down. Allow a customer's data to be stolen? Brand damage, expensive class actions and millions spent on marketing campaigns to rehabilitate your image follows. How can businesses so focused on the bottom line not do their sums? And who else finds it ironic that at a time when consumers enjoy more power than ever - a critical or positive social media review can profoundly impact a business - we've never been treated more contemptuously? Companies crave our personal information. They've called it "the new oil" for years. But we have seen so many breaches and resulting inconvenience for customers that a growing number of big businesses now look more like reckless prospectors, mining customers for their data with no concern for the consequences. So here's what I've been fantasising about: governments, regulators and we - the customers - need to stop rewarding corporate complacency about data protection. Tougher penalties must be imposed on companies who leave customer information exposed or stolen because of lax security measures. Executives and their boards should have remuneration and bonuses tied to the level of digital security they provide. And it's more than time for governments to mandate tougher cybersecurity standards, not vaguely worded "best practice" measures that leave enormous wiggle room for businesses focused only on their bottom line. Qantas should know better. Once a company with strong and emotional community ties, its reputation was shredded under the final years of former CEO Alan Joyce because of an obsessive focus on profits and investors. Its email to millions of Australians showed it hasn't learned much. Almost half of it was devoted to a point-by-point lesson on how to "remain vigilant to any misuse of your personal information". Let me add another suggestion. Quit the Qantas frequent flyer program. It's promoted as a loyalty feature but is clearly nothing more than a shoddily protected data-mining exercise. It's one thing to have your keys stolen. It's another to leave your front door open to thieves. HAVE YOUR SAY: Have you suffered because your personal data was stolen? Have you stopped dealing with companies that misuse your information? Should tougher penalties be introduced to penalise businesses with lax cybersecurity measures? Email us: echidna@ SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: - Former federal Labor leader now NSW independent MP Mark Latham has been roundly condemned for allegedly photographing female MPs in the parliamentary chamber without their permission. - The jobless rate has risen to 4.3 per cent, surpassing expectations, as the number of unemployed Australians jumped. - A man has been charged with the theft of a car linked to several high profile violent incidents, including the alleged "politically motivated" firebombing of a Melbourne synagogue. THEY SAID IT: "It takes 20 years to build a reputation and a few minutes of cyber-incident to ruin it." Stephane Nappo, French security expert. YOU SAID IT: It was a small act of rebellion John didn't realise he was committing when he wore a bright yellow parka on a gloomy city day. In a sea of black puffer jackets, he broke the strict winter dress code. "Be a mellow fellow in your yellow, John," writes David. "Donovan sang about 'Sunshine Superman', after all. Aside from the pleasant contrast with the dour, black puffer brigade, you are far less likely to be mown down in dismal light conditions. Adherence to fashion can be lethal. Remember when the silver/metallic grey hue was the only one available in cars? Well, mostly. The silver car against the grey road in a misty dawn/dusk, no lights of course, was always a gamble but, hell, gotta be hip." Maggie reports from Sydney's Central Station: "I can see four white or cream puffer jackets, two mauve (one male wearer, one female) a leopard pattern, a blue camouflage-type pattern - and yes, lots of black and dark blue." Vernon thinks winter is sombre enough without darkening it further with grim colours: "But its hard to find something colourful in the shops, so again fashion is forced upon us by the retailers and manufacturers." "I remember as kids in Melbourne my grandmother used to wear non-conformist clothing," writes Paul. "Bright floral patterns. We thought it was a little eccentric. She later would wear her nightie when watering the garden. In her final years in the aged care home she would be found swinging on the clothesline naked with another lady. But I'm sure you'll be fine. Thoughts and prayers for John, everyone." In defence of dark clothes, Chris points out that they absorb warmth when the sun is shining. And Heather writes: "Navy [and black] do not show the dirty marks they pick up on in public transport. And waterproof garments are much harder to clean than our regular clothes. Your bright yellow puffer jacket is great for country walks, but a few rides on our public transport system and it would not be so beautiful and yellow." This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to I spent the night fantasising about catching the thief. I'd easily overpower him, of course. He wouldn't know what hit him. I'd smack him in the chops once or twice, truss him nice and tight with rope so rough it would leave burn marks and then call the cops. That's the nice thing about fantasies. Old blokes with dodgy backs and arthritic shoulders are transformed into expert kung fu practitioners with supernaturally fast reflexes. But as the evening wore on, the fantasy darkened. I'd delay that call to the police. First, I'd interrogate my whimpering victim. Make him squirm, even wet his pants. Find out where he lived. Promise I'd pay him another visit. Let him experience the vulnerability and fear he'd instilled in my daughter by stealing the spare keys and security swipe to her apartment. She'd rung me earlier in tears. She lives alone. A locksmith wasn't available until the following day, and she feared the sound of her door lock being jiggled during the night. So I spent that night at her place, sharing her sense of being violated and consumed with thoughts of revenge. The next da,y an email arrived from the CEO of Qantas, Vanessa Hudson, confirming I was among the 5.7 million Australians whose personal frequent flyer information had been compromised in yet another corporate data breach. Cue another sleepless night fantasising about vengeance. But this time it wouldn't just be the cyber criminals who hacked their way into a "third party platform" - a Qantas call centre in Manila - who would feel my wrath. Retribution would also be visited upon the entire corporate sector, whose negligence and penny-pinching continue leaving us exposed and vulnerable. Barely a week passes without a major company releasing another slickly worded, legally vetted hollow apology confirming customer identities are floating around the dark web, available for purchase to the highest bidder, all courtesy of a failure to implement tighter security measures. The latest Qantas breach isn't just another technical failure. It's symbolic of a wider rot that has crept into corporate culture - businesses refusing to grasp the obvious that investing heavily in robust encryption and state of the art security systems is a revenue-enhancing strategy, not a cost centre. Data protection builds trust. Trust builds loyalty. Loyalty builds repeat business. It's the equivalent of food safety in restaurants. Poison a customer? You'll be closed down. Allow a customer's data to be stolen? Brand damage, expensive class actions and millions spent on marketing campaigns to rehabilitate your image follows. How can businesses so focused on the bottom line not do their sums? And who else finds it ironic that at a time when consumers enjoy more power than ever - a critical or positive social media review can profoundly impact a business - we've never been treated more contemptuously? Companies crave our personal information. They've called it "the new oil" for years. But we have seen so many breaches and resulting inconvenience for customers that a growing number of big businesses now look more like reckless prospectors, mining customers for their data with no concern for the consequences. So here's what I've been fantasising about: governments, regulators and we - the customers - need to stop rewarding corporate complacency about data protection. Tougher penalties must be imposed on companies who leave customer information exposed or stolen because of lax security measures. Executives and their boards should have remuneration and bonuses tied to the level of digital security they provide. And it's more than time for governments to mandate tougher cybersecurity standards, not vaguely worded "best practice" measures that leave enormous wiggle room for businesses focused only on their bottom line. Qantas should know better. Once a company with strong and emotional community ties, its reputation was shredded under the final years of former CEO Alan Joyce because of an obsessive focus on profits and investors. Its email to millions of Australians showed it hasn't learned much. Almost half of it was devoted to a point-by-point lesson on how to "remain vigilant to any misuse of your personal information". Let me add another suggestion. Quit the Qantas frequent flyer program. It's promoted as a loyalty feature but is clearly nothing more than a shoddily protected data-mining exercise. It's one thing to have your keys stolen. It's another to leave your front door open to thieves. HAVE YOUR SAY: Have you suffered because your personal data was stolen? Have you stopped dealing with companies that misuse your information? Should tougher penalties be introduced to penalise businesses with lax cybersecurity measures? Email us: echidna@ SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: - Former federal Labor leader now NSW independent MP Mark Latham has been roundly condemned for allegedly photographing female MPs in the parliamentary chamber without their permission. - The jobless rate has risen to 4.3 per cent, surpassing expectations, as the number of unemployed Australians jumped. - A man has been charged with the theft of a car linked to several high profile violent incidents, including the alleged "politically motivated" firebombing of a Melbourne synagogue. THEY SAID IT: "It takes 20 years to build a reputation and a few minutes of cyber-incident to ruin it." Stephane Nappo, French security expert. YOU SAID IT: It was a small act of rebellion John didn't realise he was committing when he wore a bright yellow parka on a gloomy city day. In a sea of black puffer jackets, he broke the strict winter dress code. "Be a mellow fellow in your yellow, John," writes David. "Donovan sang about 'Sunshine Superman', after all. Aside from the pleasant contrast with the dour, black puffer brigade, you are far less likely to be mown down in dismal light conditions. Adherence to fashion can be lethal. Remember when the silver/metallic grey hue was the only one available in cars? Well, mostly. The silver car against the grey road in a misty dawn/dusk, no lights of course, was always a gamble but, hell, gotta be hip." Maggie reports from Sydney's Central Station: "I can see four white or cream puffer jackets, two mauve (one male wearer, one female) a leopard pattern, a blue camouflage-type pattern - and yes, lots of black and dark blue." Vernon thinks winter is sombre enough without darkening it further with grim colours: "But its hard to find something colourful in the shops, so again fashion is forced upon us by the retailers and manufacturers." "I remember as kids in Melbourne my grandmother used to wear non-conformist clothing," writes Paul. "Bright floral patterns. We thought it was a little eccentric. She later would wear her nightie when watering the garden. In her final years in the aged care home she would be found swinging on the clothesline naked with another lady. But I'm sure you'll be fine. Thoughts and prayers for John, everyone." In defence of dark clothes, Chris points out that they absorb warmth when the sun is shining. And Heather writes: "Navy [and black] do not show the dirty marks they pick up on in public transport. And waterproof garments are much harder to clean than our regular clothes. Your bright yellow puffer jacket is great for country walks, but a few rides on our public transport system and it would not be so beautiful and yellow." This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to I spent the night fantasising about catching the thief. I'd easily overpower him, of course. He wouldn't know what hit him. I'd smack him in the chops once or twice, truss him nice and tight with rope so rough it would leave burn marks and then call the cops. That's the nice thing about fantasies. Old blokes with dodgy backs and arthritic shoulders are transformed into expert kung fu practitioners with supernaturally fast reflexes. But as the evening wore on, the fantasy darkened. I'd delay that call to the police. First, I'd interrogate my whimpering victim. Make him squirm, even wet his pants. Find out where he lived. Promise I'd pay him another visit. Let him experience the vulnerability and fear he'd instilled in my daughter by stealing the spare keys and security swipe to her apartment. She'd rung me earlier in tears. She lives alone. A locksmith wasn't available until the following day, and she feared the sound of her door lock being jiggled during the night. So I spent that night at her place, sharing her sense of being violated and consumed with thoughts of revenge. The next da,y an email arrived from the CEO of Qantas, Vanessa Hudson, confirming I was among the 5.7 million Australians whose personal frequent flyer information had been compromised in yet another corporate data breach. Cue another sleepless night fantasising about vengeance. But this time it wouldn't just be the cyber criminals who hacked their way into a "third party platform" - a Qantas call centre in Manila - who would feel my wrath. Retribution would also be visited upon the entire corporate sector, whose negligence and penny-pinching continue leaving us exposed and vulnerable. Barely a week passes without a major company releasing another slickly worded, legally vetted hollow apology confirming customer identities are floating around the dark web, available for purchase to the highest bidder, all courtesy of a failure to implement tighter security measures. The latest Qantas breach isn't just another technical failure. It's symbolic of a wider rot that has crept into corporate culture - businesses refusing to grasp the obvious that investing heavily in robust encryption and state of the art security systems is a revenue-enhancing strategy, not a cost centre. Data protection builds trust. Trust builds loyalty. Loyalty builds repeat business. It's the equivalent of food safety in restaurants. Poison a customer? You'll be closed down. Allow a customer's data to be stolen? Brand damage, expensive class actions and millions spent on marketing campaigns to rehabilitate your image follows. How can businesses so focused on the bottom line not do their sums? And who else finds it ironic that at a time when consumers enjoy more power than ever - a critical or positive social media review can profoundly impact a business - we've never been treated more contemptuously? Companies crave our personal information. They've called it "the new oil" for years. But we have seen so many breaches and resulting inconvenience for customers that a growing number of big businesses now look more like reckless prospectors, mining customers for their data with no concern for the consequences. So here's what I've been fantasising about: governments, regulators and we - the customers - need to stop rewarding corporate complacency about data protection. Tougher penalties must be imposed on companies who leave customer information exposed or stolen because of lax security measures. Executives and their boards should have remuneration and bonuses tied to the level of digital security they provide. And it's more than time for governments to mandate tougher cybersecurity standards, not vaguely worded "best practice" measures that leave enormous wiggle room for businesses focused only on their bottom line. Qantas should know better. Once a company with strong and emotional community ties, its reputation was shredded under the final years of former CEO Alan Joyce because of an obsessive focus on profits and investors. Its email to millions of Australians showed it hasn't learned much. Almost half of it was devoted to a point-by-point lesson on how to "remain vigilant to any misuse of your personal information". Let me add another suggestion. Quit the Qantas frequent flyer program. It's promoted as a loyalty feature but is clearly nothing more than a shoddily protected data-mining exercise. It's one thing to have your keys stolen. It's another to leave your front door open to thieves. HAVE YOUR SAY: Have you suffered because your personal data was stolen? Have you stopped dealing with companies that misuse your information? Should tougher penalties be introduced to penalise businesses with lax cybersecurity measures? Email us: echidna@ SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: - Former federal Labor leader now NSW independent MP Mark Latham has been roundly condemned for allegedly photographing female MPs in the parliamentary chamber without their permission. - The jobless rate has risen to 4.3 per cent, surpassing expectations, as the number of unemployed Australians jumped. - A man has been charged with the theft of a car linked to several high profile violent incidents, including the alleged "politically motivated" firebombing of a Melbourne synagogue. THEY SAID IT: "It takes 20 years to build a reputation and a few minutes of cyber-incident to ruin it." Stephane Nappo, French security expert. YOU SAID IT: It was a small act of rebellion John didn't realise he was committing when he wore a bright yellow parka on a gloomy city day. In a sea of black puffer jackets, he broke the strict winter dress code. "Be a mellow fellow in your yellow, John," writes David. "Donovan sang about 'Sunshine Superman', after all. Aside from the pleasant contrast with the dour, black puffer brigade, you are far less likely to be mown down in dismal light conditions. Adherence to fashion can be lethal. Remember when the silver/metallic grey hue was the only one available in cars? Well, mostly. The silver car against the grey road in a misty dawn/dusk, no lights of course, was always a gamble but, hell, gotta be hip." Maggie reports from Sydney's Central Station: "I can see four white or cream puffer jackets, two mauve (one male wearer, one female) a leopard pattern, a blue camouflage-type pattern - and yes, lots of black and dark blue." Vernon thinks winter is sombre enough without darkening it further with grim colours: "But its hard to find something colourful in the shops, so again fashion is forced upon us by the retailers and manufacturers." "I remember as kids in Melbourne my grandmother used to wear non-conformist clothing," writes Paul. "Bright floral patterns. We thought it was a little eccentric. She later would wear her nightie when watering the garden. In her final years in the aged care home she would be found swinging on the clothesline naked with another lady. But I'm sure you'll be fine. Thoughts and prayers for John, everyone." In defence of dark clothes, Chris points out that they absorb warmth when the sun is shining. And Heather writes: "Navy [and black] do not show the dirty marks they pick up on in public transport. And waterproof garments are much harder to clean than our regular clothes. Your bright yellow puffer jacket is great for country walks, but a few rides on our public transport system and it would not be so beautiful and yellow." This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to I spent the night fantasising about catching the thief. I'd easily overpower him, of course. He wouldn't know what hit him. I'd smack him in the chops once or twice, truss him nice and tight with rope so rough it would leave burn marks and then call the cops. That's the nice thing about fantasies. Old blokes with dodgy backs and arthritic shoulders are transformed into expert kung fu practitioners with supernaturally fast reflexes. But as the evening wore on, the fantasy darkened. I'd delay that call to the police. First, I'd interrogate my whimpering victim. Make him squirm, even wet his pants. Find out where he lived. Promise I'd pay him another visit. Let him experience the vulnerability and fear he'd instilled in my daughter by stealing the spare keys and security swipe to her apartment. She'd rung me earlier in tears. She lives alone. A locksmith wasn't available until the following day, and she feared the sound of her door lock being jiggled during the night. So I spent that night at her place, sharing her sense of being violated and consumed with thoughts of revenge. The next da,y an email arrived from the CEO of Qantas, Vanessa Hudson, confirming I was among the 5.7 million Australians whose personal frequent flyer information had been compromised in yet another corporate data breach. Cue another sleepless night fantasising about vengeance. But this time it wouldn't just be the cyber criminals who hacked their way into a "third party platform" - a Qantas call centre in Manila - who would feel my wrath. Retribution would also be visited upon the entire corporate sector, whose negligence and penny-pinching continue leaving us exposed and vulnerable. Barely a week passes without a major company releasing another slickly worded, legally vetted hollow apology confirming customer identities are floating around the dark web, available for purchase to the highest bidder, all courtesy of a failure to implement tighter security measures. The latest Qantas breach isn't just another technical failure. It's symbolic of a wider rot that has crept into corporate culture - businesses refusing to grasp the obvious that investing heavily in robust encryption and state of the art security systems is a revenue-enhancing strategy, not a cost centre. Data protection builds trust. Trust builds loyalty. Loyalty builds repeat business. It's the equivalent of food safety in restaurants. Poison a customer? You'll be closed down. Allow a customer's data to be stolen? Brand damage, expensive class actions and millions spent on marketing campaigns to rehabilitate your image follows. How can businesses so focused on the bottom line not do their sums? And who else finds it ironic that at a time when consumers enjoy more power than ever - a critical or positive social media review can profoundly impact a business - we've never been treated more contemptuously? Companies crave our personal information. They've called it "the new oil" for years. But we have seen so many breaches and resulting inconvenience for customers that a growing number of big businesses now look more like reckless prospectors, mining customers for their data with no concern for the consequences. So here's what I've been fantasising about: governments, regulators and we - the customers - need to stop rewarding corporate complacency about data protection. Tougher penalties must be imposed on companies who leave customer information exposed or stolen because of lax security measures. Executives and their boards should have remuneration and bonuses tied to the level of digital security they provide. And it's more than time for governments to mandate tougher cybersecurity standards, not vaguely worded "best practice" measures that leave enormous wiggle room for businesses focused only on their bottom line. Qantas should know better. Once a company with strong and emotional community ties, its reputation was shredded under the final years of former CEO Alan Joyce because of an obsessive focus on profits and investors. Its email to millions of Australians showed it hasn't learned much. Almost half of it was devoted to a point-by-point lesson on how to "remain vigilant to any misuse of your personal information". Let me add another suggestion. Quit the Qantas frequent flyer program. It's promoted as a loyalty feature but is clearly nothing more than a shoddily protected data-mining exercise. It's one thing to have your keys stolen. It's another to leave your front door open to thieves. HAVE YOUR SAY: Have you suffered because your personal data was stolen? Have you stopped dealing with companies that misuse your information? Should tougher penalties be introduced to penalise businesses with lax cybersecurity measures? Email us: echidna@ SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: - Former federal Labor leader now NSW independent MP Mark Latham has been roundly condemned for allegedly photographing female MPs in the parliamentary chamber without their permission. - The jobless rate has risen to 4.3 per cent, surpassing expectations, as the number of unemployed Australians jumped. - A man has been charged with the theft of a car linked to several high profile violent incidents, including the alleged "politically motivated" firebombing of a Melbourne synagogue. THEY SAID IT: "It takes 20 years to build a reputation and a few minutes of cyber-incident to ruin it." Stephane Nappo, French security expert. YOU SAID IT: It was a small act of rebellion John didn't realise he was committing when he wore a bright yellow parka on a gloomy city day. In a sea of black puffer jackets, he broke the strict winter dress code. "Be a mellow fellow in your yellow, John," writes David. "Donovan sang about 'Sunshine Superman', after all. Aside from the pleasant contrast with the dour, black puffer brigade, you are far less likely to be mown down in dismal light conditions. Adherence to fashion can be lethal. Remember when the silver/metallic grey hue was the only one available in cars? Well, mostly. The silver car against the grey road in a misty dawn/dusk, no lights of course, was always a gamble but, hell, gotta be hip." Maggie reports from Sydney's Central Station: "I can see four white or cream puffer jackets, two mauve (one male wearer, one female) a leopard pattern, a blue camouflage-type pattern - and yes, lots of black and dark blue." Vernon thinks winter is sombre enough without darkening it further with grim colours: "But its hard to find something colourful in the shops, so again fashion is forced upon us by the retailers and manufacturers." "I remember as kids in Melbourne my grandmother used to wear non-conformist clothing," writes Paul. "Bright floral patterns. We thought it was a little eccentric. She later would wear her nightie when watering the garden. In her final years in the aged care home she would be found swinging on the clothesline naked with another lady. But I'm sure you'll be fine. Thoughts and prayers for John, everyone." In defence of dark clothes, Chris points out that they absorb warmth when the sun is shining. And Heather writes: "Navy [and black] do not show the dirty marks they pick up on in public transport. And waterproof garments are much harder to clean than our regular clothes. Your bright yellow puffer jacket is great for country walks, but a few rides on our public transport system and it would not be so beautiful and yellow."
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
No sign of ransom demands after Qantas hack
Hackers and traders in stolen data have not contacted Qantas following details from millions of customers being taken from a contractor of the Australian airline. The airline confirmed on Wednesday that a cyber attack occurred in one of its Filipino call centres, and customers' names, dates of birth, emails, and frequent flyer numbers were stolen. Other personal information such as credit card, passport, and financial details were not stored in those centres, Qantas has said. In an update on Friday, the Australian Federal Police said Qantas had been 'highly engaged' with the authorities investigating the breach. 'The airline has been highly engaged in assisting authorities and the AFP with investigating this incident,' an AFP spokesperson said. 'Further comment will be provided at an appropriate time.' Also on Friday, Qantas chief executive Vanessa Hudson said Qantas had not been contacted by anyone claiming to have the data, and the airline was continuing to work with government authorities to investigate. 'We know that data breaches can feel deeply personal and understand the genuine concern this creates for our customers. Right now we're focused on providing the answers and transparency they deserve,' Ms Hudson said. 'Our investigation is progressing well with our cybersecurity teams working alongside leading external specialists to determine what information has been accessed.' Qantas was almost in a position to tell affected customers what specific data about themselves had been taken, she said. 'We are treating this incredibly seriously and have implemented additional security measures to further strengthen our systems. Our customers can be assured that we have the right expertise and resources dedicated to resolving this matter thoroughly and effectively. 'I want to apologise again for the uncertainty this has caused. We're committed to keeping our affected customers informed with regular updates as our investigation progresses.' The airline has now revealed they are yet to be contacted by anyone who claims to have the stolen data. In an update released on Friday morning, Qantas said about six million customers had been impacted but that the airline's system 'remains secure'. 'We have also increased resourcing in our contact centres to support our customers and have received more than 5000 inquiries through our dedicated customer support line established following the cyber incident.' The airline issued an email to customers on Wednesday, in which Ms Hudson told those affected they did not need to change their passwords. 'I want to reassure our Qantas Frequent Flyers that there's no requirement to reset your password or pin,' she said. 'If you're having trouble accessing your account, reset your password or call the Qantas Frequent Flyer Service Centre.' Affected customers can contact Qantas' support line on 1800 971 541 or +61 2 8028 0534. Sign in to access your portfolio
Sky News AU
3 days ago
- Business
- Sky News AU
Qantas obtains interim junction in NSW Supreme Court to prevent data stolen in massive cyber attack from being released
Qantas has gone to court to stop the personal data of millions of customers being released by the group behind the recent cyber attack. The data of about 5.7 million Qantas customers was leaked earlier this month including residential addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth and even meal preferences. Qantas insists there is no evidence that any stolen data has been released, but has taken action to prevent this from happening. The national carrier said it has obtained an interim injunction in the NSW Supreme Court to prevent the data from being accessed, viewed, released, used, transmitted or published by anyone. 'We want to do all we can to protect our customers' personal information and believe this was an important next course of action,' a statement from Qantas says. Qantas said it is working with the Australian Federal Police, the National Cyber Security Coordinator and the Australian Cyber Security Centre for its investigation. The airline stressed it had become 'aware of increase reports of scammers' impersonating the airline and urged for passenger caution. 'We recommend customers remain alert for unusual communications claiming to be from Qantas or requesting personal information or passwords,' the airline said. 'Qantas will never contact customers requesting passwords, booking reference details or sensitive login information.' The airline said no credit card details, personal financial information or passport details were accessed in the breach as they are not stored in the compromised system. Customers received emails in the week after the breach with details outlining exactly what pieces of their personal details have been accessed. The email, titled "Confirmation of your details impacted by the cyber incident", was sent on behalf of Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson. It outlined what elements of their personal information was accessed following an investigation by Qantas cyber security teams. The airline said 1.3 million addresses, which included residential and business addresses alongside hotels for misplaced baggage delivery, were taken in the breach. The date of births for 1.1 million customers, alongside 900,000 phone numbers, the genders of 400,000 and the meal preferences of 10,000 were also leaked. At least 1.2 million customers' names and email addresses were taken, while another 2.8 million customers' name, email address and Qantas Frequent Flyer number were stolen. The majority of these had their tier list included while a smaller group had their points balance and status credit details stolen. Qantas first detected unusual activity on a third-party platform used by an airline contact centre several weeks ago. The airline said it took "immediate steps and contained the system" and assured customers all of the airline's systems remained secure. An investigation into the cyber incident is ongoing, and additional security measures are also being put in place to "further restrict access and strengthen system monitoring and detection".
West Australian
3 days ago
- Business
- West Australian
Qantas takes legal action to protect millions hit by major data breach
Qantas has filed court action in a bid to stop the compromised data of 5.7 million customers being accessed or released following a cyber attack. The accounts of 5.7 million Qantas customers were compromised in a data breach of one of the airline's call centres on June 30. The data affected varied from person to person but included a combination of business and residential addresses of 1.3 million accounts, the phone numbers attached to 900,000 accounts, and dates of birth connected to 1.1 million accounts. The majority of the compromised data included customer records limited to the names, addresses, and Frequent Flyer details of customers. The airline has confirmed that there was no evidence of any personal data being released, and no credit card or passport details or personal financial information had been accessed. Further, no passwords, PINs and login details of Frequent Flyer accounts were compromised, with the airline stating the stolen data wasn't enough to access accounts. Qantas was on Thursday granted an interim injunction in the NSW Supreme Court in an attempt to stop the data from being accessed or released. 'In an effort to further protect affected customers, the airline has today obtained an interim injunction in the NSW Supreme Court to prevent the stolen data from being accessed, viewed, released, used, transmitted or published by anyone, including by any third parties,' a Qantas statement read. 'We want to do all we can to protect our customers' personal information and believe this was an important next course of action.' Qantas Group chief executive officer Vanessa Hudson last week said the airline was informing customers of what data was in the compromised system and providing advice on support services. 'Our absolute focus since the incident has been to understand what data has been compromised for each of the 5.7 million impacted customers and to share this with them as soon as possible,' Ms Hudson said. 'Since the incident, we have put in place a number of additional cybersecurity measures to further protect our customers' data and are continuing to review what happened. 'We remain in constant contact with the National Cyber Security Co-ordinator, Australian Cyber Security Centre and the Australian Federal Police. I would like to thank the various agencies and the federal government for their continued support.' Affected customers are able to call the dedicated support line on 1800 971 541, or 02 8028 0534. 'This service remains available 24/7 and customers have access to specialist identity protection advice and resources through this team,' Qantas said in a statement. Customers have been urged to remain vigilant, particularly with any email, texts and phone calls that purport to be from Qantas, and to not provide online account passwords or any personal or financial information. 'We are aware of increased reports of scammers impersonating Qantas. We recommend customers remain alert for unusual communications claiming to be from Qantas or requesting personal information or passwords,' a Qantas statement read. 'Qantas will never contact customers requesting passwords, booking reference details or sensitive login information.' Additionally, customers were advised to contact Scamwatch if they believed they had been targeted by scammers.
Perth Now
3 days ago
- Business
- Perth Now
Qantas' next move after cyber attack
Qantas has filed court action in a bid to stop the compromised data of 5.7 million customers being accessed or released following a cyber attack. The accounts of 5.7 million Qantas customers were compromised in a data breach of one of the airline's call centres on June 30. The data affected varied from person to person but included a combination of business and residential addresses of 1.3 million accounts, the phone numbers attached to 900,000 accounts, and dates of birth connected to 1.1 million accounts. The majority of the compromised data included customer records limited to the names, addresses, and Frequent Flyer details of customers. The airline has confirmed that there was no evidence of any personal data being released, and no credit card or passport details or personal financial information had been accessed. The data of millions of Qantas customers was compromised in a data breach following a cyber attack in June. NewsWire / Luis Enrique Ascui. Credit: News Corp Australia Further, no passwords, PINs and login details of Frequent Flyer accounts were compromised, with the airline stating the stolen data wasn't enough to access accounts. Qantas was on Thursday granted an interim injunction in the NSW Supreme Court in an attempt to stop the data from being accessed or released. 'In an effort to further protect affected customers, the airline has today obtained an interim injunction in the NSW Supreme Court to prevent the stolen data from being accessed, viewed, released, used, transmitted or published by anyone, including by any third parties,' a Qantas statement read. 'We want to do all we can to protect our customers' personal information and believe this was an important next course of action.' Qantas Group chief executive officer Vanessa Hudson last week said the airline was informing customers of what data was in the compromised system and providing advice on support services. 'Our absolute focus since the incident has been to understand what data has been compromised for each of the 5.7 million impacted customers and to share this with them as soon as possible,' Ms Hudson said. 'Since the incident, we have put in place a number of additional cybersecurity measures to further protect our customers' data and are continuing to review what happened. 'We remain in constant contact with the National Cyber Security Co-ordinator, Australian Cyber Security Centre and the Australian Federal Police. I would like to thank the various agencies and the federal government for their continued support.' Qantas said there was no evidence of any personal data being released NewsWire / David Swift Credit: News Corp Australia Affected customers are able to call the dedicated support line on 1800 971 541, or 02 8028 0534. 'This service remains available 24/7 and customers have access to specialist identity protection advice and resources through this team,' Qantas said in a statement. Customers have been urged to remain vigilant, particularly with any email, texts and phone calls that purport to be from Qantas, and to not provide online account passwords or any personal or financial information. 'We are aware of increased reports of scammers impersonating Qantas. We recommend customers remain alert for unusual communications claiming to be from Qantas or requesting personal information or passwords,' a Qantas statement read. 'Qantas will never contact customers requesting passwords, booking reference details or sensitive login information.' Additionally, customers were advised to contact Scamwatch if they believed they had been targeted by scammers.
