Qantas hit by major data breach as hackers leak 5 million customer records

Qantas airline is hit by major data breach as the hackers have reportedly leaked 5 million customers personal records on dark web after the expiry of ransom deadline set by cybercriminals.

The airline is among over 40 companies worldwide affected by the hack that reportedly compromised up to 1 billion customer records.

The notorious hacker group named as Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters last week posted a ransom note on the dark web, demanding a hefty payment in exchange for preventing the stolen data from being leaked.

The Qantas data which was stolen from a Salesforce database in June, included customers’ personal details, such as phone numbers, email addresses, birth dates, and flyer numbers.

Fortunately, the details do not include financial information, passport details, and credit card details.

According to Jeremy Kirk, the executive editor of Cyber Threat Intelligence said, 44 companies, including Gap, Vietnam Airlines, Disney, Toyota, McDonald’s, Ikea, and Adidas have fallen to cyber attack.

Hacker group is known for operating out of countries such as the UK, US, and Australia.

“This particular group is not a new threat; they’ve been around for some time. But they’re very skilled in knowing how companies have connected different systems together.” Kirk said.

A Qantas spokesperson told Guardian Australia its priorities were “continued vigilance and providing ongoing support for our customers” after the June attack.

“We continue to offer a 24/7 support line and specialist identity protection advice to affected customers,” the spokesperson said.