Qantas disclosed a cybersecurity incident on July 2 potentially affecting 6 million customers.
Qantas has been contacted by a cyber criminal claiming responsibility for the data breach that affected 6 million customers.
A company spokesperson confirmed Qantas is working to validate this, adding that since it's a criminal matter, the company “won't be commenting any further on the detail of the contact.” There's also no evidence that any of the stolen information has been released, the company said in an email.
Bad actors gained access to customers' names, email addresses, phone numbers, birthdates and frequent flyer numbers via a third-party platform used by a Qantas call center. In the wrong hands, this data could lead to phishing attacks and eventually, identity theft or fraud.
Credit card details, personal financial information and passport details are not held in the breached system, according to Qantas.
“We sincerely apologise to our customers and we recognise the uncertainty this will cause.” CEO Vanessa Hudson said in a statement. “We are contacting our customers today and our focus is on providing them with the necessary support.”
Qantas is Australia's largest airline, with frequent international flights serving Europe, Asia and the US.
Qantas is working with local Australian authorities and specialized cybersecurity experts to investigate the incident detected on June 30. Customers can contact Qantas dedicated support line on 1800-971-541 or +61 2 8028 0534.
Qantas did not immediately respond to CNET's request for comment.
What if I was affected by this breach?
Qantas is continuing to investigate the full impact of this breach, though it says it expects the amount of data stolen to be “significant.”
For now, we know that some personal information, including names, email addresses and phone numbers have been stolen. Because of this, you should be wary of phishing attacks aimed at tricking you into coughing up more of your data or scamming you out of your money.
As Qantas contacts impacted customers, it may offer free identity theft and credit monitoring tools. My advice is to take advantage of this. Coverage tends to last for 12 months, and offers a good way to keep a pulse on your identity online.
You can also sign up for identity theft protection on your own after the offer expires. In the meantime, look over your credit reports for signs of identity theft, including suspicious accounts you did not open.
