OPTUS INFORMS CUSTOMERS TO BE WATCHFUL AFTER CYBERSECURITY BREACH

Australian telecommunications company, Optus, states that they are in contact customers to ensure they are safe after a cybersecurity breach on Friday, September 22, 2022. The company urges all its customers to remain vigilant and calm about the situation.

“…While we are not aware of customers having suffered any harm, we encourage customers to have heightened awareness across their accounts, including looking out for unusual or fraudulent activity and any notifications which seem odd or suspicious.”

Their press release from the date of the attack stated that they were able to halt the attack after it was noticed and are working with the police and the Australian Cyber Security Centre among other linked organizations to aid in resolving the breach. Information that might have been taken include names, email addresses, and phone numbers among other personal information.

Chief Executive Officer at Optus, Kelly Bayer Rosmarin, said: “We are devastated to discover that we have been subject to a cyberattack that has resulted in the disclosure of our customers’ personal information to someone who shouldn’t see it … We are very sorry and understand customers will be concerned.”

A report by the Sydney Morning Herald, as reported by Reuters, states a probe into a $1 million ransom from hackers with a threat to sell personal information. 

Furthermore, Optus says that other services such as mobile and internet service as well as voice calls were not affected by the threat and that customers can access and use those features without worry. Payment detail and passwords were also not affected.