Australia’s flagship carrier, Qantas Airways, has disclosed a significant cybersecurity breach affecting up to 6 million customers, with cybercriminals gaining unauthorized access to a third-party customer service platform used by the airline’s contact centre operations. The airline has formally notified the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC), the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC), and the Australian Federal Police (AFP), acknowledging the criminal nature of the incident and committing to full cooperation with ongoing investigations. Qantas has implemented comprehensive incident response procedures, which immediately contained the affected system and deployed additional security measures to restrict access and enhance monitoring capabilities. Additionally, no frequent flyer account credentials, passwords, PIN numbers, or login authentication details were accessible through the targeted platform, maintaining the integrity of customer account security protocols. The airline has established a dedicated customer support hotline at 1800 971 541 (domestic) and +61 2 8028 0534 (international), providing affected customers with specialized identity protection resources and expert consultation services. The incident, detected on Monday and contained shortly thereafter, represents one of the most significant data breaches in Australian aviation history, prompting immediate notification to federal cybersecurity agencies and law enforcement. The company is working closely with the National Cyber Security Coordinator and independent cybersecurity specialists to conduct a thorough forensic analysis of the breach. According to the airline’s initial assessment, the compromised database contains service records for approximately 6 million customers, with the company anticipating that the attackers may have exfiltrated a significant proportion of this data. 6 million customers affected by cyberattack on Qantas third-party customer service platform. System contained, authorities notified (cyber security agencies, police), additional security measures implemented.
This Cyber News was published on cybersecuritynews.com. Publication date: Wed, 02 Jul 2025 11:55:13 +0000