Home affairs minister Clare O’Neil says company to blame and flags new laws with large fines for such breaches

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Optus has agreed to provide free credit monitoring to the millions of customers caught up in its massive data breach, as the home affairs minister flags changes to law to potentially fine companies millions for similar breaches.

The company on Monday said it had informed all customers via email or SMS who had their passport or driver’s licence numbers compromised in the breach last week.

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CEO says company has not yet confirmed how many people were affected by hack, but 9.8 million was ‘worst case scenario’

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Optus customers dating as far back as 2017 could be caught up in the massive hack of the telecommunications company’s database, CEO Kelly Bayer Rosmarin has revealed.

Bayer Rosmarin told reporters on Friday that the company is still not sure exactly how many customers had their personal information compromised in the attack, but that 9.8 million was the “worst case scenario”.

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After a malicious cyber-attack, customers of Australia’s second-largest telco are advised they could be at risk of identity theft

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Australia’s second-largest telco, Optus, has suffered a massive data breach, with the personal information of potentially millions of customers compromised by a malicious cyber-attack.

It is believed the attackers were working for a criminal or state-sponsored organisation.

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Peiter Zatko, former security chief, brought allegations of widespread security threats and spam concerns against the company

New whistleblower allegations of widespread security threats and spam concerns at Twitter may give Elon Musk ammunition in his fight to back out of a deal to buy the company.

On Tuesday, an 84-page complaint written by Twitter’s former security chief turned whistleblower, Peiter Zatko, alleged that Twitter prioritizes user growth over reducing spam, did not have a plan in place for major security issues, and that half the company’s servers were running out-of-date and vulnerable software.

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CEO Shalev Hulio is stepping down as part of NSO reorganisation that will see it focus on sales in Nato member countries

Israel’s NSO Group, which makes the globally controversial Pegasus spyware said on Sunday its CEO Shalev Hulio would step down as part of a reorganisation.

The indebted, privately owned company also said it would focus sales on countries belonging to the Nato alliance.

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Even the latest iPhone scare won’t persuade us to choose safety over convenience

Apple caused a stir a few weeks ago when it announced that the forthcoming update of its mobile and laptop operating systems would contain an optional high-security mode that would provide users with an unprecedented level of protection against powerful “spyware” software that surreptitiously obtains control of their devices.

It’s called Lockdown Mode and, according to Apple, “offers an extreme, optional level of security for the very few users who, because of who they are or what they do, may be personally targeted by some of the most sophisticated digital threats, such as those from NSO Group and other private companies developing state-sponsored mercenary spyware”.

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Even the latest iPhone scare won’t persuade us to choose safety over convenience

Apple caused a stir a few weeks ago when it announced that the forthcoming update of its mobile and laptop operating systems would contain an optional high-security mode that would provide users with an unprecedented level of protection against powerful “spyware” software that surreptitiously obtains control of their devices.

It’s called Lockdown Mode and, according to Apple, “offers an extreme, optional level of security for the very few users who, because of who they are or what they do, may be personally targeted by some of the most sophisticated digital threats, such as those from NSO Group and other private companies developing state-sponsored mercenary spyware”.

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Attack being investigated for potential data theft as experts warn criminals could use stolen details as leverage

A ransomware attack on an NHS software supplier last week is being investigated for potential theft of patient data, as experts warned that criminals could use personal information as leverage in negotiations.

Advanced, which provides services for NHS 111 and patient records, said it was investigating “potentially impacted data” and that it would provide updates when it had more information about “potential data access or exfiltration”. The UK data watchdog confirmed it was aware of the incident and was “making enquiries.”

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Attack being investigated for potential data theft as experts warn criminals could use stolen details as leverage

A ransomware attack on an NHS software supplier last week is being investigated for potential theft of patient data, as experts warned that criminals could use personal information as leverage in negotiations.

Advanced, which provides services for NHS 111 and patient records, said it was investigating “potentially impacted data” and that it would provide updates when it had more information about “potential data access or exfiltration”. The UK data watchdog confirmed it was aware of the incident and was “making enquiries.”

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Cybersecurity expert Ron Diebert to testify to Canadian MPs about troubling spread of invasive surveillance tools

The mercenary spyware industry represents “one of the greatest contemporary threats to civil society, human rights and democracy”, a leading cybersecurity expert warns, as countries grapple with the unregulated spread of powerful and invasive surveillance tools.

Ron Diebert, a political science professor at the university of Toronto and head of Citizen Lab, will testify in front of a Canadian parliamentary committee on Tuesday afternoon about the growing threat he and others believe the technology poses to citizens and democracies.

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