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Qantas Contains Cyberattack, Alerts Six Million Customers

Officials investigating the breach plan to tell customers exactly which personal data was accessed.

Six million customers may have been impacted in a Qantas cyberattack.
Qantas confirmed that the stolen data includes customer names, email addresses, and phone numbers, but assured customers that credit card and passport details, as well as passwords, were not accessed.
Sydney, Australia - November 26, 2017: Qantas Longreach 747 VH-OJT "Fraser Island" taking off from Sydney Airport, with domestic terminal in background.

Overview

  • Qantas secured the compromised third-party contact-centre platform and confirmed there is no impact on flight operations or passenger safety.
  • Up to six million customers will receive individual notifications detailing whether their names, email addresses, phone numbers, birth dates or frequent flyer numbers were exposed.
  • The airline has not received any ransom demand and has not formally identified the perpetrators despite experts pointing to the Scattered Spider group.
  • Qantas is working with the Australian Cyber Security Centre, the National Cyber Security Coordinator, the Australian Federal Police and independent specialists to determine the extent of stolen data.
  • Security experts warn that exposed personal details could fuel identity-theft and phishing scams, and Qantas has launched a dedicated support line and online resources for affected customers.