Qantas cyber attack affects six million customers’ data

Qantas reports cyber attack affecting up to six million customers, compromising personal data but not financial details.

Qantas has confirmed that up to six million customers have been impacted by a significant cyber attack.

The airline stated that while passport and financial details were not compromised, hackers accessed personal information including names, email addresses, frequent flyer numbers, and dates of birth.

Suspicious activity was detected on Monday concerning a third-party platform utilized by Qantas contact centres. The airline acted immediately to contain the breach, asserting that operations and safety remain untouched.

Qantas specified that credit card information, financial data, and passport details were not stored in the compromised system. No frequent flyer accounts, passwords, or PINs were affected.

Qantas can confirm that a cyber incident has occurred in one of its contact centres impacting customer data. The system is now contained.

We understand this will be concerning for customers. We are currently contacting customers to make them aware of the incident, apologise and provide details on the support available.

The incident occurred when a cyber criminal targeted a call centre and gained access to a third party customer servicing platform.

There is no impact to Qantas’ operations or the safety of the airline.

Chief executive Vanessa Hudson apologised to customers and ensured collaboration with various cybersecurity authorities, including the Australian Cyber Security Centre and the Federal Police.

Hudson acknowledged the anxiety this incident may cause, affirming their commitment to customer data protection. Qantas is in the process of reaching out to affected customers to offer support.

The cyber attack follows similar incidents affecting other airlines, underlining the ongoing risks to travel companies.

A government spokesperson recommended that customers contact Qantas for assistance and suggested basic online security measures such as updating software, using strong passwords, and enabling multi-factor authentication.