Qantas has announced it has been contacted by a "potential hacker", less than a week after revealing a "significant" security breach and the theft of data on up to 6 million customers from its records during a cyberattack.
See also: Qantas: Cyberattack led to data breach
The airline said on Monday it was working to verify the authenticity of the communication and had already contacted the Australian Federal Police (AFP). It has not yet clarified the nature of the communication or whether a ransom was requested.
An AFP spokesperson told the ABC the matter was under investigation. The development comes after Qantas detected unusual activity on a third-party platform used by customer service .
Qantas said last week it was investigating the extent of the data stolen, although it expects it to be “significant.” The airline says it is continuing to work with “cybersecurity experts to conduct a detailed analysis of the affected system.”
See also: Qantas Airways app exposes sensitive customer data
This investigation has concluded that the system is now secure and that no credit card details, personal financial data or passport details were accessed during the breach.
"We want to assure all our customers that there is no impact on Qantas' operations or the safety of our flights," the company said in a statement.
On Friday, Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudsonapologized to the company's customers, stressing that Qantas takes cybersecurity issues "extremely seriously."
See also: Singapore Airlines: Implements stricter regulations after the crash
Based on the above, the incident with Qantas highlights once again how critical the role of cybersecurity is for large companies, especially in sectors such as aviation, where sensitive personal and financial data of millions of customers is managed. The fact that the company detected the breach through a third-party platform also shows the importance of security throughout the supply chain and partners. Even if the company's core systems are protected, a weakness in an external platform can put critical data.
Source: abc.net
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