No bank details or passwords were demanded during massive cyberattack in Australia: Reports

• Optus CEO Kelly Bayer Rosmarin stated that a “sophisticated” adversary was responsible for a cyberattack.
• Names, dates of birth, phone numbers, and email addresses were obtained.
• Passwords and bank details were untouched, as per the Singapore-owned firm.

A massive cyberattack of Australia’s second-largest telecoms provider may have stolen the private data of over 10 million subscribers, the company disclosed on Friday.

Optus CEO Kelly Bayer Rosmarin stated that a “sophisticated” adversary was responsible for a cyberattack that compromised the data of up to 9.8 million consumers.

Customers’ names, dates of birth, phone numbers, and email addresses were obtained, along with driver’s licenses and passport numbers.

Passwords and bank details were untouched, as per the Singapore-owned firm.

As per Bayer Rosmarin’s statement, no ransom was demanded from users, although it is unclear whether the attack originated from a state-based or criminal organization.

“It’s too early to rule out any possibility,” she said, adding that the Australian government and police were conducting an investigation.

“We don’t yet know who these attackers are and what they want to do with this information.”

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission warned almost half of the country’s population that they might be in danger of identity theft if they were affected.

“Optus customers should take immediate steps to secure all of their accounts, particularly their bank and financial accounts. You should also monitor for unusual activity on your accounts and watch out for contact by scammers,” the watchdog said.

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