Qantas confirms cyber-attack exposed records of up to 6 million customers

Qantas recently confirmed a cyber-attack that exposed records of up to 6 million customers. The breach occurred through a third-party system used for their contact center. While the data stolen includes names, email addresses, phone numbers, birth dates, and frequent flyer numbers, it did not compromise financial information or passwords.

Qantas detected unusual activity and contained the situation quickly. The airline believes the attack may have been linked to the Scattered Spider ransomware group. The federal minister for cybersecurity stated that vulnerabilities increase when companies rely on third-party systems.

Qantas is working with cybersecurity experts and has informed relevant authorities about the incident. Chief executive Vanessa Hudson has apologized, assuring customers that their trust in the airline's handling of personal information is taken seriously.