Update on Qantas frequent flyers data hack
Qantas says it has been contacted by a group claiming to be behind the theft of the data of millions of its frequent flyers last week,
The airline said in a statement late on Monday that 'a potential cybercriminal has made contact' but it would not disclose if a ransom was being sought.
'As this is a criminal matter, we have engaged the Australian Federal Police and won't be commenting any further on the detail of the contact,' a Qantas spokesman said.
Qantas said it was working with cybersecurity experts 'to validate' the authenticity of the communication.
'There is no evidence that any personal data stolen from Qantas has been released but, with the support of specialist cybersecurity experts, we continue to actively monitor,' the airline said.
Chief executive Vanessa Hudson said on Friday Qantas was working with authorities to resolve the matter, Picture: NewsWire / Luis Enrique Ascui
The airline confirmed last Wednesday that a cyber attack occurred in one of its Filipino call centres, and customers' names, dates of birth, emails, and frequent flyer numbers were stolen.
Other personal information such as credit card, passport, and financial details were not stored in those centres, Qantas has said.
In an update released on Friday morning, Qantas said about six million customers had been impacted but that the airline's system 'remains secure'.
We have also increased resourcing in our contact centres to support our customers and have received more than 5000 inquiries through our dedicated customer support line established following the cyber incident.'
The airline issued an email to customers on Wednesday, in which Ms Hudson told those affected they did not need to change their passwords.
'I want to reassure our Qantas Frequent Flyers that there's no requirement to reset your password or pin,' she said.
'If you're having trouble accessing your account, reset your password or call the Qantas Frequent Flyer Service Centre.'
Affected customers can contact Qantas' support line on 1800 971 541 or +61 2 8028 0534.
In an update on Friday, the Australian Federal Police said Qantas had been 'highly engaged' with the authorities investigating the breach.
Originally published as Qantas says it has been contacted by a group claiming to have stolen data of its frequent flyers
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