Qantas Hit by “Significant” Cyber Attack

HamBoi69 on 02/07/2025 - 10:06
Last edited 03/07/2025 - 15:00 by 1 other user

ADACA, this time it’s Qantas.

Hopefully they give out 50,000 QFF points as an apology.

Information for customers on cyber incident:

Qantas is warning a "significant" amount of customer data has likely been stolen from its records during a cyber attack.

The airline has released a statement saying that, on Monday, it detected unusual activity on a third-party platform used by a Qantas airline contact centre.

The airline said 6 million customers had service records in this platform.

Qantas said it was investigating the proportion of the data that had been stolen, though it expected it would be "significant".

An initial review confirmed the data included some customers' names, email addresses, phone numbers, birth dates and frequent flyer numbers, the airline said.

"Importantly, credit card details, personal financial information and passport details are not held in this system," the statement read.

"No frequent flyer accounts were compromised nor have passwords, PIN numbers or log in details been accessed."

Qantas said the system had been quarantined and affected customers would be notified.

Qantas hit by cyber attack, leaving 6 million customer records at risk of data breach

At least they were quick to report it.

Poll Options

  • 142
    I have a frequent flyer account and my details WERE leaked
  • 7
    I have a frequent flyer account and my details WERE NOT leaked
  • 19
    I don’t have an account, but still like voting in polls
Travel Data Breach

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Comments

  • Protractor on 02/07/2025 - 10:08
    +30

    Another breach via call centre.This country's stupid weak rules allow foreign crooks, in call centres, free access to our ID,data and banking details. And there has never been a prosecution. Not one.Yay! How, in 2025, can an Australian govt not ban offshore call centres for Australian companies, serving Australian customers?

    • Fredfloresjr on 02/07/2025 - 10:11
      +11

      Yeah, if that happens, watch Telstra start charging $190 for 5gb plan.

        • AMofOz on 02/07/2025 - 14:32
          +15

          there it is, the racism and xenophobia that makes Australia so great. FYL.

          • Protractor on 02/07/2025 - 16:28
            -4

            @AMofOz: "The concerning attack was detected by Qantas on Monday, after “unusual activity” on a third party call centre platform based in the Philippines was detected by the airline."

            • AMofOz on 02/07/2025 - 16:51
              +3

              @Protractor: @Protractor : "The irony is the same inhabitants in those call centres are the migrants eventually coming in via waves as skilled migrants. "

              That one, genius. Can't even keep track of your own venom, huh?

              • Protractor on 02/07/2025 - 16:56
                -4

                @AMofOz: You don't think it's ironic that a person ( ethnicity or country of origin irrelevant) can flip from being a call centre role to a "skilled migrant role" unrelated to the original call centre role? (rhetorical).

                • Chandler on 04/07/2025 - 11:22

                  @Protractor: So you think some experience in a call centre is giving you enough to tick all the boxes on a skilled migrant visa?

                  • Protractor on 04/07/2025 - 11:25

                    @Chandler: No not all, but I'd consider it a bonus to have the fact you worked for an Australian business previously, handling Australian data in the IT field would possibly slide you higher up the queue.

      • coffeeinmyveins on 02/07/2025 - 10:27
        +12

        Yeah, if that happens, watch Telstra start charging $190 for 5gb plan.

        Telstra made almost $2bn in profit on 22bn in revenue. They can afford it.

        This is the same stupid rhetoric that people spin about taxing billionaires. Why are we so against making corporations pay their fair share?

        • haemolysis on 04/07/2025 - 08:47
          +1

          I’m all for taxing fairly, but to call this “stupid rhetoric” is insane… corporations can, will, and always do, pass on rising costs.

      • Drakesy on 02/07/2025 - 11:20
        +7

        Or actually use their income for Australian jobs, as it is Telstra is milking the Australian taxpayer dry via the NBN

      • happydude on 02/07/2025 - 14:14
        +5

        Since 2022, all Telstra's call centres are all onshore.

        https://www.telstra.com.au/exchange/answering-your-customer-…

    • donga100 on 02/07/2025 - 10:20
      +1

      How do you know it wasn't one of their local contact centres?

        • donga100 on 02/07/2025 - 12:00
          +5

          But if it's a local breach we can expect arrests and prosecutions, and changes in security laws can't we

          No. We have had multiple local breaches much worse than this with no arrests or law changes. Look at HWLE data breach for example:

          Leaked data of 62 Government entities and numerous private companies. Including drivers licenses, passports, sensitive medical information, etc. Plus Government information including legal advice provided to government departments, litigation matters including migration and employment, and potentially sensitive details of projects relating to national security matters. (Source - page 4)

          The only legal action taken was for HWLE to get a court injunction to stop people possessing the information so they could keep media from reporting on the details. They didn't start notifying individuals for over a year after that. The court injunction was clearly never going to stop the criminals and extortionists from obtaining or using the data.

      • AMofOz on 02/07/2025 - 14:33
        +2

        because his xenophobia trumpism, says so!!!

        • Protractor on 02/07/2025 - 16:14
          -5

          You think I'm a Trump supporter? LOL.

          https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/incidents/cybe…

          Dr Hammond Pearce from UNSW Sydney’s School of Computer Science and Engineering said the personal information that was exposed is actually far more “frustrating” and “concerning” to have in the hands of hackers.

          “When a data breach like this occurs, it’s very frustrating for everyone involved,” he told news.com.au, adding that ‘date-of-birth’ being leaked was of greatest concern.

          “The kind of information that has been stolen, you use it everywhere … they define you. I can change my credit card number, it’s annoying and it’s a hassle, but I can ring up my bank and it’s done.

          “But my name and my date of birth, these are things that are a little bit more permanent and in many ways these are just as frustrating to have leaked because those are things you actually can’t change. I can’t change my name very easily and I certainly can’t change my date of birth.”

          A cyber security expert said the breach could be far more damaging than first thought. Picture: Julian Andrews.
          A cyber security expert said the breach could be far more damaging than first thought. Picture: Julian Andrews.
          Dr Pearce said that a hacker obtaining your full name, date-of-birth, email or phone number are three pieces of personal data that may pave the way for a future “downstream attack”, and that as a cybersecurity expert, his biggest fear for impacted customers is impersonation.

          “When other businesses use those pieces of personal information as well, we run the risk of whoever obtains that data being able to impersonate you and also being able to target you,” he explained.

          “So when that information is leaked … it’s very frustrating.

          “The biggest thing that we’re worried about is impersonation … where they [hackers] can pretend to be you with other businesses that you might be registered with.”

          Dr Pearce said another area of concern is the use of the leaked information to mimic or to create an account in new systems.

          This means the cyber-hacker might have the ability to open a credit card account or even sign up for hotel registrations or other accounts with the information obtained.

          Qantas claims credit cards and passports details were not stored on the platform, and therefore not leaked.
          Qantas claims credit cards and passports details were not stored on the platform, and therefore not leaked.
          “They don’t need your existing credit card number to do that, they just need all of those other bits of information like your name and your date of birth and so on and so forth,” he said.

          “While the banks are getting a little bit more responsible with that, there are so many other things that we can sign up for with those details.

          • AMofOz on 02/07/2025 - 16:52
            +2

            @Protractor: TL;DR

            • Protractor on 02/07/2025 - 17:00

              @AMofOz: TLDR
              Funny how some people keep barracking for a known risk, even in the face of multiple events with the same key risk factors and the same outcomes. Just to justify exploitation of developing countries cheap labour for higher profit margins. Criticising this failed model and outcome is racist, apparently.

          • ShoeyAU on 02/07/2025 - 20:56
            +6

            @Protractor: Exactly - it always infuriates me the email tries to downplay: "most importantly" your credit card details were not leaked… seriously…I mean, these days the existing CC number is one of the least important pieces of data to the point of it being a throwaway data with virtual cards etc. You call the bank to reverse any charges and get a new one - done. It's the permanent info leaks that suck

          • Baysew on 04/07/2025 - 10:24
            +1

            @Protractor:

            You think I'm a Trump supporter? LOL.

            So you use News article to show you are not.

      • Nebargains on 03/07/2025 - 13:23
        +1

        The linked article says it is the call center in Manila.

    • Onemoredeal on 02/07/2025 - 10:41

      I’m sure they won’t need them soon enough as we get to talk to their friendly AI bot

      • Protractor on 02/07/2025 - 10:44
        -2

        Breaches will be worse and more frequent with AI. And the impacts quicker. Although it will be a slight comfort psychologically, knowing that the original weak links are redundant.Maybe they can migrate here as essential workers in the building industry.

    • reactor-au on 03/07/2025 - 10:06
      +2

      Don't worry mate, 100% AI call centres got your back

  • plmko on 02/07/2025 - 10:17
    +16

    Watch the pollies come out slamming Qantas but not a peep about penalties or accountability on an action plan.

    Qantas is their darling. Probabaly will be rewarded with more preferred routes/licences and an interest free loan to sack people.

    • Onemoredeal on 03/07/2025 - 02:41
      +8

      They won’t say much if they want to keep their Chairman’s Lounge access.

  • Gdsamp on 02/07/2025 - 10:41
    +12

    Average Wednesday in this country

  • Camry420 on 02/07/2025 - 10:43
    +16

    I'd like to think that the hackers will spare me out of pity when they see the data that shows how long I've been on hold with Qantas customer service for.

  • Dollar General on 02/07/2025 - 10:49
    +15

    Hope the hackers let me know what my password is

  • Emphasise on 02/07/2025 - 10:54
    +2

    Another day another leak. Kinda laughable at this point with how many times my email is out there. 13 times on haveibeenpwned!

    • Lastchancetosee on 04/07/2025 - 13:17

      I'd forgotten about that site. Thankfully, mine are showing zero so far. Touch wood.

  • wannagrababargain on 02/07/2025 - 10:57
    +21

    Lol the spin.
    "Personal data has been leaked BUT fortunately no credit cards were leaked!"

    If it had been the other way and credit cards were leaked the spin would have been:
    "Credit card details were leaked BUT fortunately no personal data was leaked!"

    • Protractor on 02/07/2025 - 11:05
      +4

      Frequent Liar Points

    • bamzero on 03/07/2025 - 03:24
      +8

      Leaked credit card details would be easier to deal with. Cancel the card, dispute any fraudulent charges, move on.

      Name, email address, phone number and birth date. Spammers and scammers will have fun with that.

  • Ellene on 02/07/2025 - 11:01

    What personal data has been leaked? Do they know the members of the mile high club?

    • Caped Baldy on 02/07/2025 - 11:21
      +4

      Do they know the members of the mile high club?

      Does this include people travelling solo? asking for a friend

  • Wiadro on 02/07/2025 - 11:03
    +2

    nothing new
    happened on the 30th

    • Protractor on 02/07/2025 - 11:12
      +3

      So all these breaches have a real common theme. Victims are slow to be told, or the company has no idea for days. aka horse has bolted, also giving time for a comprehensive cover-up by the company to protect their arse. And as usual, still no reform of the laws and rules around storing and protecting Australian consumers data. It's time these massive companies were forced by the govt to audit their IT systems & staff, and publish the results.Breaches should be notified no later than 24 hours after the event.

      • Grunntt on 03/07/2025 - 11:25

        Breaches should be notified no later than 24 hours after the event.

        I wish they would actually notice the breach with 24 hours rather than many months later in some cases.

        • Protractor on 03/07/2025 - 11:27
          -1

          Shows their true care factor & obvious security flaws

          • Grunntt on 03/07/2025 - 11:36
            +1

            @Protractor: Medibank is an example of that. Medibank was shown to have ignored system warnings after the breach for almost 2 months

            From the linked article -

            What's more, Medibank was "aware of serious deficiencies in its cybersecurity and information security framework", the commissioner alleges.
            Between 2018 and August 2022 — the month of the hack — consultants including KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers repeatedly warned Medibank to lift its game around information security.
            The commissioner has listed internal audits that highlighted some of Medibank's Achilles heels which allegedly exposed it to the Russian cybercriminals.
            These included three tests by Threat Intelligence which identified Medibank's "insecure or weak password requirements" in March and September 2018 and November 2020.
            A KPMG report in about August 2021 warned that multi-factor authentication had "not been implemented for privileged users when accessing particular systems, backend portals, or supporting servers".
            An internal Medibank presentation months before the hack found that a set of controls to identify gaps in compliance with information security standards mandated by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority had been "prepared in 2020, but never implemented".

  • Drakesy on 02/07/2025 - 11:21
    +4

    But because Qantas is a protected species this will be swept under the rug

    • Dollar General on 02/07/2025 - 11:26
      +14

      Qantas will be given billions of dollars of taxpayer money to upgrade their IT systems

      • Drakesy on 02/07/2025 - 11:29
        -1

        100%

        And Albo will make a public apology and kiss the feet of Vaness Hudson (Qantas CEO) about how the Australian government has let down their national airline.

        • Protractor on 02/07/2025 - 11:34

          and QUNTUS will raise all their airfares, as well.

  • Mad Max on 02/07/2025 - 12:35
    +13

    Why are all these companies allowed to collect and keep indefinitely so much customers data even when there is absolutely no requirement for them to do so?
    And they don't care when their systems get hacked, because there is no meaningful penalty. They get away with a cheap and meaningless "sorry".
    The penalties and compensation to affected customers should be so large to make it an unacceptable liability to keep customers data that is not legally required to be kept.

    • Ryanek on 02/07/2025 - 13:11
      +4

      no requirement for them to do so

      User data is very valuable. You can analyse customer behavior, improve and personalise services and make business decisions. It’s a key part of data analytics.

      • smartazz104 on 03/07/2025 - 13:32
        +1

        And yet Qantas have done none of those things…

        • Ryanek on 03/07/2025 - 20:23
          -2

          That is a ridiculous comment, Qantas is a huge company with deep resources.

          They likely spend $50M+ on analytics annually.

    • Protractor on 02/07/2025 - 13:12
      -1

      Welcome to my idealistic battlefield.

    • Nebargains on 03/07/2025 - 13:28

      Might not be any requirement to do so but I think if they didn't you would find customers complaining that they have to keep giving them this information they've already told them before.

      Kind of like how stupid people complain about getting scammed and demand their money back from the banks. So banks start putting all these checks in place to check people aren't getting scammed and people start complaining that the banks are asking questions to get their own money.

      Damned if they do, damned if they don't.

      At least in this case the amount of data breached is relatively light in my opinion.

    • haemolysis on 04/07/2025 - 09:13

      when there is absolutely no requirement for them to do so?

      It’s literally mandatory by law and other KYC regulations lol. They MUST hold this data.

      The best step to addressing this mess is not only getting rid of that law, but actually reversing it entirely: change mandatory retention into mandatory deletion.

  • Reticent on 02/07/2025 - 22:00
    +18

    I just got an email confirming I’m one of the unlucky ones. Was caught up in Optus too.. just sick of it and the zero consequences laid on the company who don’t invest enough into protecting customer data.

    • HamBoi69 on 03/07/2025 - 06:21
      +3

      Yep, I got an email confirming I was hit too last night. I’m going to complain, complain, and complain until I get some sort of decent compensation, it’s the least they can do.

      • Lastchancetosee on 03/07/2025 - 07:58
        +4

        I got the email, too, but do you really think they'll give any compensation? They seem to have absolute contempt for their customers.

        • HamBoi69 on 03/07/2025 - 08:12
          +1

          They might not, but in order to proceed to the OAIC, you need to have at least contacted the company first. The OAIC should force Qantas to give you some amount of compensation.

        • Onemoredeal on 03/07/2025 - 08:25
          +3

          They won’t get much government pressure as they have the entire parliament paid off with Chairman’s Lounge access

      • skid on 03/07/2025 - 10:41

        Think it is worth creating a poll? like "I have a frequent flyer account and my details were leaked" vs "I have a frequent flyer account and I did not receive the email last night"

        Or with 6mil customers affected, does that mean everybody with a frequent flyer account was affected?

        edit: Qantas FF supposedly have 16mil members.

        • HamBoi69 on 03/07/2025 - 15:00

          Good idea. Added in.

      • dajiska on 03/07/2025 - 17:40

        @HamBoi69
        where did you go to complain?

    • IcySpicyStew on 03/07/2025 - 12:26

      Worse are the majority of customers who will continue to fund and use their services so nothing changes

    • keejoonc on 03/07/2025 - 16:10

      Same. I was one of the lucky ones too.

  • Trying2SaveABuck on 02/07/2025 - 22:40
    +5

    Great more spam Emails and scam texts and calls coming my way….

  • 82norm on 03/07/2025 - 08:25

    Yawn

  • rooon on 03/07/2025 - 08:55
    +2

    They shoud reissue everyone affected with new Frequent Flyer numbers.

  • Chewy2221 on 03/07/2025 - 10:12
    +4

    I'm sure that Albo & co will give Qantas a stern talking to while enjoying the hospitality in the chairman's lounge. I'm surprised that more people don't see the chairman's lounge membership (extended to all federal MPs) as corruption.

  • Mad Max on 03/07/2025 - 10:12
    +2

    If it is true that 6 million customers have been affected, there is a very good chance that some legal firm will start a class action to get as much compensation money as possible out of Qantas. Lawyers will have a field day! Customers will get bugger all. Qantas will have to fork out a lot of money for all legal costs and compensation.
    The only winners will be the lawyers, but at least there will be some punishment for Qantas.
    They will not learn anyway. Otherwise Medibank and Optus would have already been a good lesson.

    • Protractor on 03/07/2025 - 10:27
      +1

      Agree, but QANTAS will win either way. They'll jack up prices soon after any legal stoush. Gotta keep the share holders flush.

  • Trekky on 03/07/2025 - 10:52

    I've also received an email to inform me I'm one of the 'unlucky' ones…..

    • Protractor on 03/07/2025 - 16:47
      +1

      If they offer you shit, don't let them force you sign off on limited, or no, future actions against them, just it case it grows legs and class actions etc ensue.By all means accept gifts, but make sure your are not signing away your choices going fwd, when you do.

  • IcySpicyStew on 03/07/2025 - 12:29
    -1

    May 2024: Qantas App Glitch
    October 2024: Insider Data Theft

    Why do you still fly with them? The joke is on you.
    Stop funding and using the companies that have data breaches, simple proactive solution.
    No customers, no company.
    The companies will be forced to change but far too many simply continue to use their services and then complain or exploited.

  • movieman on 03/07/2025 - 13:41

    Wow.

    And their response?
    I'm called them, and no resolution to anyone …

  • curtturtle on 03/07/2025 - 15:20
    +2

    At this point hackers would get into my bank account, say "(profanity) me! poor bastard!" and then put money in rather than steal any.

  • ackeron on 03/07/2025 - 17:12
    -2

    Qantas for bankruptcy.

  • zep555 on 03/07/2025 - 18:07
    +1

    Wow, tested booking a flight from Ho Chi Minh to Sydney via Qantas app then sent to next next page declaring you will be charged in US dollars converted to Vietnam Dong and then we will obviously pay in AUD generally, double conversion whammy. It gets better. Within 5 days you will be notified by Qantas rep HTT Travel Vietnam who will confirm your flight booking and request your credit card details (the one thing hackers never got), and if not contacted, please email HTT Travel. Unbelievable, l wonder how we get hacked. Qantas best yet.

  • Dose Pipe Sutututu on 04/07/2025 - 00:25

    Still patiently waiting for hackers to either drop a 0 or two off my home loan balance or add a few 0s to the end of my QFF points balance

  • reactor-au on 04/07/2025 - 15:31

    Just got a phone call from a local number but very obvious an overseas scam, they knew my name and claimed to be from the FTC and calling about my account. Since when do the FTC have accounts?

    • reactor-au on 05/07/2025 - 08:16

      I called up the dedicated line and asked about identity theft monitoring like we received when Optus was hacked, the operator said the more people that request it maybe they will offer such.

  • Cookiescream on 04/07/2025 - 15:39

    Out of curiosity can we take Qantas to VCAT over this?

    Tired of my data being leaked.

    • HamBoi69 on 04/07/2025 - 18:42
      +1

      I've complained to Qantas and was promised a response in 2 Business days. Today is the 2nd Business Day. I have to wait for them to respond before I can lodge a complaint with the OAIC. I'd imagine they'll be more useful than VCAT, and they're free too.

      • Cookiescream on 09/07/2025 - 12:35

        I did the same and they said very little.

        I have just replied saying i am opening a case on OAIC.

        Anything on your end?

  • bamzero on 04/07/2025 - 17:49
    +1

    So apparently it was a 2FA bypass attack from Scattered Spider after a warning from the FBI to the aviation industry.

    • skid on 04/07/2025 - 19:18

      i.e. they called up the service desk and asked, "repeat the code I sent to your email/sms"

  • bamzero on 09/07/2025 - 16:25

    Got another email from them…

    Our cyber security teams have undertaken an investigation and we can confirm that the following types of your data held on the compromised system was accessed:

    Name
    Qantas Frequent Flyer number
    Tier

    • HamBoi69 on 11/07/2025 - 10:49

      Gee, you got lucky, I got everything, and I only received the email 5 minutes ago. You would've thought they could send those who had more stuff exposed an email before those with fewer things, like yourself.

      Our analysis has found that the following types of your data held on the compromised system was accessed:
      Address
      Name
      Email address
      Qantas Frequent Flyer number
      Tier
      Points balance
      Status Credits
      Phone number

      • Protractor on 11/07/2025 - 11:07

        Feck. That;s BS

        • HamBoi69 on 11/07/2025 - 11:47

          Yep. Already lodged a complaint with the OAIC, now I’ve followed up highlighting that Qantas withheld the full extent.

          • Protractor on 11/07/2025 - 11:52
            +3

            @HamBoi69: Personally I hope somebody goes class action. Albeit, I feel the loss is so profound and risky ,quantifying the level of harm is difficult. But per person it should be substantial $$.
            In fact I think there is an opportunity for one of the better larger law firms to have a specialist arm dealing with this whole data loss area.
            Some sort of intervention needs to take place to create a deterrence to this shit. If the govt can drop everything to move mountains for the 'anti Semitic' issue, surely they can pull their fingers out and reform the data security of Strayans. After all the number of ppl outweighs the other issue by multiple millions. Best of luck.

    • Daisycogs on 11/07/2025 - 10:51

      same for me

  • mancwinner on 11/07/2025 - 10:52

    I have now have data leaked from Service NSW, Optus and Qantas. Time for some governmental action regarding data protection laws. I am sick of this shit.

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