Latest news with #dataTheft
Arabian Business
6 days ago
- Business
- Arabian Business
Australia's Qantas says cyberattackers with data on 6 million customers have made contact
Qantas, the Australian national airline, said it has been contacted by a group claiming to be behind the cyberattack that resulted in a massive data theft involving six million of its customers. The airline did not confirm if any ransom demands have been made. Qantas data theft Last Wednesday, the airline considered to be the safest in the world when it comes to flying, fell prey to a cyberattack in one of its Filipino call centres. It resulted in the theft of customers' names, dates of birth, emails, and frequent flyer numbers. Other personal information such as credit card, passport, and financial details were not stored in the centre. The airline said on Monday evening that 'a potential cybercriminal has made contact'. A Qantas spokesman said: 'As this is a criminal matter, we have engaged the Australian Federal Police and won't be commenting any further on the details of the contact. 'There is no evidence that any personal data stolen from Qantas has been released but, with the support of specialist cybersecurity experts, we continue to actively monitor.' On Friday, Vanessa Hudson, Qantas Group Chief Executive Officer, said: '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. 'Our investigation is progressing well with our cybersecurity teams working alongside leading external specialists to determine what information has been accessed. We're finalising a process that will enable us to provide affected customers with more information about their personal information that was potentially compromised. 'We are treating this incredibly seriously and have implemented additional security measures to further strengthen our systems. I want to apologise again for the uncertainty this has caused. We're committed to keeping our affected customers informed as our investigation progresses.'
BBC News
30-06-2025
- BBC News
Huge inquiry after a million people's data stolen from garages
Eight men have been convicted over the theft of a million people's personal details from vehicle garages across the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) said it was "one of the largest nuisance call cases" they had Curry, ICO head of investigations, said: "This case uncovered a vast, murky criminal network where crash details were stolen from garages across England, Scotland and Wales and traded to fuel distressing predatory calls."The group, which conducted their crimes between 2014 and 2017, were due to be sentenced at a later date at Bolton Crown Court. 'Snowballed' Jurors at a 10-week trial heard how the ICO seized the "widest body of evidence it has ever seen", highlighting the misuse of personal data for nuisance calls to persuade people to make personal injury investigation began in 2016 when the owner of a car repair garage in County Durham contacted the regulator with concerns after customers blamed him for the calls they were watchdog said their investigation "snowballed into one of the largest nuisance call cases the ICO has ever dealt with".Investigators then arrested eight people from Greater Manchester and Cheshire. Data sold to claims firms The ICO also found devices with 4.5 million documents,144,000 spreadsheets and 241,000 also contained 1.5 million images and 83,000 multimedia obtained personal data of about one million people from garages without their consent before selling them to claims management ICO said it expected further prosecutions of people "embedded into insurance companies and claims management companies with the sole aim of stealing personal data" as part of the second phase of its investigation. The convicted men included:Craig Cornick, 40, of Prestbury, guilty of conspiracy to unlawfully obtain personal data contrary to the Data Protection Daly, 35, pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to unlawfully obtain personal McCartan, 30, of Failsworth - pleaded guilty to conspiracy to unlawfully obtain personal data contrary to the Data Protection Act and conspiracy to secure unauthorised access to data held on computer systems contrary to the Computer Misuse Flanagan, 40, of Macclesfield - pleaded guilty to conspiracy to unlawfully obtain personal data contrary to the Data Protection Act and conspiracy to secure unauthorised access to data held on computer systems contrary to the Computer Misuse Preece, 44, of Manchester - pleaded guilty to conspiracy to unlawfully obtain personal data contrary to the Data Protection Act and conspiracy to secure unauthorised access to data held on computer systems contrary to the Computer Misuse Thorlby, 35, of Macclesfield - pleaded guilty to conspiracy to unlawfully obtain personal data contrary to the Data Protection Act and conspiracy to secure unauthorised access to data held on computer systems contrary to the Computer Misuse Moktadir, 32, of Stockport - pleaded guilty to conspiracy to unlawfully obtain personal data contrary to the Data Protection Crompton, 35, of Northwich - pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to unlawfully obtain personal data contrary to the Data Protection Act. Read more stories from Cheshire on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC North West on X. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
Reuters
25-06-2025
- Reuters
US seeks extradition of alleged hacker arrested in France
June 25 (Reuters) - U.S. prosecutors have charged a British national with data theft and related cybercrime offences, and are seeking to extradite the alleged hacker from France, the U.S. Justice Department said on Wednesday. Kai West, who was arrested in France in February, was part of a wider group of hackers who were active selling or giving away stolen data on a cybercrime forum, the Justice Department said. West has been charged with operating the "IntelBroker" online identity, infiltrating victim computer networks, stealing data, selling it, and causing millions in damages to dozens of victims around the world, the department said, adding victims include a U.S.-based telecommunications provider. A four-count criminal indictment and complaint charging West was unsealed on Wednesday. Two of the counts carry a maximum prison sentence of five years each, while the other two charges carry a maximum of 20 years each. The Justice Department did not identify the forum where West is alleged to have been selling stolen data, but French media including Le Parisien and Valeurs Actuelles have identified it as BreachForums, a notorious gathering place for data-swapping cybercriminals. French media said four additional French hackers had been arrested by police on Monday in connection with the investigation. A representative for West could not immediately be identified to comment.
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Rippling spy says men have been following him, and his wife is afraid
If becoming a spy sounds like an exciting way to live like a le Carré character, let this newest affidavit from confessed Rippling spy Keith O'Brien serve as a warning. On Friday, an Irish judge granted O'Brien a restraining order against several men who have not yet been identified, according to the court order seen by TechCrunch. O'Brien testified that multiple men — two in a gray Skoda Superb on one occasion, and more often, a short-haired, heavy-set man in a black SUV, sometimes accompanied by a large dog — had repeatedly followed his car and watched his home. O'Brien's story has captured the imagination of the tech industry after his colorful confession in April, in which he alleged that he was a spy for Deel. He said he was paid €5,000 a month to steal Rippling's internal data on everything from products to customers. Rippling caught him by setting up a honeypot Slack channel. On the day he was caught, O'Brien pretended to flush his phone down the corporate toilet and later smashed it, dropping pieces down the drain at his mother-in-law's house, according to his affidavit. Now he's the star witness for Rippling in its lawsuit against Deel. Rippling is even picking up the tab for his legal and related expenses, its lawyers testified. Deel is also countersuing Rippling, claiming it was spied on too, by a Rippling employee impersonating a customer. The two HR tech companies have been bitter rivals for years after Deel — once a Rippling customer — began offering competing products. In the latest part of the saga, O'Brien testified that he tried to lose the black SUV following his car by making sudden turns and taking roundabout ways to get home, only to see it reappear in his rearview mirror. He hired a security consulting company and feared that someone was placing tracking devices on his car. O'Brien claims all of these incidents have created 'emotional and psychological' damage for himself and his wife. 'We have been experiencing anxiety at home and in public. It has affected our sleep and our concentration,' O'Brien said in his latest affidavit. They are fearful for the safety of their four children. He and his lawyer speculated that this was intended as harassment related to his role as star witness. However, O'Brien's lawyer also admitted in court that they had no evidence tying the men to Deel. Deel also denied knowing anything about the man in the black SUV. According to the Irish publication Business Post, when granting the injunction, the judge apparently said, 'As if they are in a 1970s cops and robbers' TV show. Whatever happens in the dueling court cases, O'Brien has made himself the rope in a bitter tug of war between these two well-funded HR startups. And from what he says in his testimony, it sounds painful. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
TechCrunch
20-06-2025
- Business
- TechCrunch
Rippling spy says men have been following him, and his wife is afraid
If becoming a spy sounds like an exciting way to live like a Le Carré character, let this newest affidavit from confessed Rippling spy Keith O'Brien serve as a warning. On Friday, an Irish judge granted O'Brien a restraining order against several men who have not yet been identified, according to the court order seen by TechCrunch. O'Brien testified that multiple men – two in a gray Skoda Superb on one occasion, and more often, a short-haired, heavy-set man in a black SUV, sometimes accompanied by a large dog – had repeatedly followed his car and watched his home. O'Brien's story has captured the imagination of the tech industry after his colorful confession in April, in which he alleged that he was a spy for Deel. He said he was paid €5,000 a month to steal Rippling's internal data on everything from products to customers. Rippling caught him by setting up a honeypot Slack channel. On the day he was caught, O'Brien pretended to flush his phone down the corporate toilet and later smashed it, dropping pieces down the drain at his mother-in-law's house, according to his affidavit. Now he's the star witness for Rippling in its lawsuit against Deel. Rippling is even picking up the tab for his legal and related expenses, its lawyers testified. Deel is also countersuing Rippling, claiming it was spied on too, by a Rippling employee impersonating a customer. The two HR tech companies have been bitter rivals for years after Deel – once a Rippling customer – began offering competing products. In the latest part of the saga, O'Brien testified that he tried to lose the black SUV following his car by making sudden turns and taking roundabout ways to get home, only to see it reappear in his rearview mirror. He hired a security consulting company and feared that someone was placing tracking devices on his car. O'Brien claims all of these incidents have created 'emotional and psychological' damage for himself and his wife. 'We have been experiencing anxiety at home and in public. It has affected our sleep and our concentration,' O'Brien said in his latest affidavit. They are fearful for the safety of their four children. He and his lawyer speculated that this was intended as harassment related to his role as star witness. However, O'Brien's lawyer also admitted in court that they had no evidence tying the men to Deel. Deel also denied knowing anything about the man in the black SUV. Techcrunch event Save $200+ on your TechCrunch All Stage pass Build smarter. Scale faster. Connect deeper. Join visionaries from Precursor Ventures, NEA, Index Ventures, Underscore VC, and beyond for a day packed with strategies, workshops, and meaningful connections. Save $200+ on your TechCrunch All Stage pass Build smarter. Scale faster. Connect deeper. Join visionaries from Precursor Ventures, NEA, Index Ventures, Underscore VC, and beyond for a day packed with strategies, workshops, and meaningful connections. Boston, MA | REGISTER NOW According to the Irish publication Business Post, when granting the injunction, the judge apparently said, 'As if they are in a 1970s cops and robbers' TV show. Whatever happens in the dueling court cases, O'Brien has made himself the rope in a bitter tug of war between these two well-funded HR startups. And from what he says in his testimony, it sounds painful.
