Australia's Optus was hit by a massive data breach last week. According to the telco firm, the cybercriminals were able to steal a lot of personal information from almost 10 million customers, but no financial data was compromised in the process.
To compensate for the losses, the company currently offers a free subscription to the most affected customers by the cyberattack. This will entail free credit monitoring for the potential identity theft that could take place.
Affected Optus Customers to Receive Free Subscription
(Photo : Jefferson Santos from Unsplash)
Optus will offer free credit monitoring for the most affected customers by the recent cyberattack.
According to News.com.au, Optus will be communicating with the most affected customers of the data breach for the next few months so they would know how to get started with a chargeless subscription.
"Please note that no communications from Optus relating to this incident will include any links as we recognize there are criminals who will be using this incident to conduct phishing scams," Optus said in a statement.
At that time, the massive cyber hack reportedly affected up to 9.8 million Australians. The attackers could have gotten their sensitive information, including their phone number, name, and passport account.
In fear that the hackers will also steal the customers' identities, Optus has immediately issued a statement that they will give them free credit monitoring.
According to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, the Optus cyberattack will serve as a "huge wake-up call" for all corporations when it comes to securing and protecting their client's personal and financial data.
Related Article: Optus Cyberattack: 9.8 Milion Customers Hit by Largest Data Breach in Australia
Optus Should be Held Accountable For the Data Breach
In another report by ABC News, Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil believes that Optus should be held accountable for its action that affected millions of Aussie customer accounts.
According to her, the company holds a huge responsibility for unexpected turn of events. For O'Neil, this "should not have happened," especially for a major telecommunications firm with all the resources to protect the user's data.
Last Friday, Sept. 23, a senior Optus official said that the company committed an error in securing the information, that's why the hackers were able to steal some personal data.
For this part, O'Neil suggests that the company should prioritize having a "substantial reform effort" to prevent the cyberattacks that might happen in the future.
The suggestion to roll out credit monitoring without charge came from O'Neil. She was the one who called Optus regarding this because she was aware that identity theft could happen at any time.
The Canberra Times wrote in a report that Optus is currently facing a potential class action because of the incident. The Australian Federal Police is spearheading the probe, and it's underway.
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Written by Joseph Henry
