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According to Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil, the massive breach of Optus customer data by cyber attackers should not have occurred. She called it a “simple” attempt by online criminals.
Ms O’Neil said it was especially problematic for 2.8 million Australian citizens whose lost data comprised 100 points of identification, many of whom are likely to become victims of identity theft. She also denied Optus’ claims that the breach was a complex one.
The Minister vehemently denied that “human error” played a role in the hack after Optus said that hackers had stolen customer data due to a careless mistake.
“We should not have a telecommunications provider in this country that has left room for data theft,” said Minister O’Neil.
“Ultimately, the security breach is Optus’ fault, and I want to emphasise that this type of security breach should not happen with such a big telecommunications provider in Australia.”
The Minister’s comments come after Optus revealed that hackers accessed the personal data of around 10 million Australians in the data breach—names, dates of birth, addresses, and phone numbers.
“This is a very simple attempt by cyber criminals to exploit a big company,” said Minister O’Neil. “It’s as simple as that.”
The Minister went on to say that the government is working with Optus to make sure that the data breach is contained and that customers are protected.
“The government is working with Optus to understand how this has happened and what can be done to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” declared Minister O’Neil. “We want to ensure Australians have confidence in their telecommunications providers.”
According to Ms O’Neil, companies in other countries who have violated a breach of similar magnitude as Optus have been fined hundreds of millions of dollars.
Ms O’ Neil further adds that while hundreds of public servants had worked to assist Optus, particularly during a public holiday and weekend, “a significant reform effort” would be needed in the future to prevent similar breaches.
The Minister concluded that the government is committed to ensuring that Australian businesses are safe from cyber-attacks.
“This incident highlights the importance of cybersecurity,” said Minister O’Neil. “The government is committed to working with the private sector to ensure that our businesses are as safe as possible from cyberattacks.”
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