Qantas Suffers Major Data Breach Affecting Six Million Customers

Qantas Airways has confirmed a serious cyber attack that has compromised personal data of up to six million customers, marking a troubling increase in data breaches across Australia.

Qantas Airways has announced that it is reaching out to up to six million customers following a cyber breach involving a third-party service platform utilized by its contact center. The Australian airline detected "unusual activity" on June 30, revealing that personal information such as names, email addresses, phone numbers, birth dates, and frequent flyer numbers may have been accessed. Following the discovery, Qantas swiftly took steps to contain the issue and is currently investigating the full scale of the breach, expecting that a "significant" amount of data may have been compromised.

Importantly, Qantas has stated that critical information such as passport details, credit card data, and personal financial information were not stored on the affected system. Additionally, the airline assured customers that their frequent flyer accounts, passwords, and PIN numbers remain secure. The airline has notified the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Cyber Security Centre, and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner of the incident.

In a message to customers, Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson expressed regret for the disruption this may cause and urged concerned customers to reach out to a dedicated support line. Hudson reassured customers that operations and safety at Qantas would not be compromised as a result of the incident.

The timing of the breach is notable, coming just days after the FBI issued a warning regarding cyber threats targeting the airline industry from a criminal group known as Scattered Spider. Recent weeks have seen similar attacks on Hawaiian Airlines and Canada's WestJet.

This incident is among several significant data breaches reported in Australia this year, following the exposure of sensitive information from AustralianSuper and Nine Media. Data from the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner indicates that 2024 has already been the worst year for data security breaches since records began in 2018. Australian Privacy Commissioner Carly Kind has called for both businesses and government agencies to enhance their cybersecurity protocols, as the likelihood of malicious cyber attacks appears to be growing steadily.