Space Travel News
CYBER WARS
Australian finance company refuses hackers' ransom demand
Australian finance company refuses hackers' ransom demand
by AFP Staff Writers
Sydney (AFP) April 11, 2023

Australian firm Latitude Financial said Tuesday it refused to pay a ransom to hackers who stole millions of records in one of the country's biggest data heists.

The consumer lending company, which offers loans and credit cards, said last month that hackers had stolen the personal records of around 14 million Australian and New Zealand customers.

Latitude Financial said it had recently received a ransom threat from the group behind the cyber attack, which it was ignoring in line with government advice.

"We will not reward criminal behaviour, nor do we believe that paying a ransom will result in the return or destruction of the information that was stolen," it said in a statement to the Australian Stock Exchange.

Paying the ransom "would only encourage further extortion attempts", the company added, without detailing the hackers' demands.

The stolen data includes 7.9 million Australian and New Zealand driving licenses and 53,000 passport numbers.

Another 6.1 million records dating back to at least 2005 with information such as names, addresses, telephone numbers and dates of birth were also stolen.

Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil, who has previously described predatory hackers as "scummy criminals", said giving in to extortion "only fuels the ransomware business model".

"They commit to undertaking actions in return for payment, but so often re-victimise companies and individuals."

In recent months, hackers have preyed on some of Australia's biggest companies in a string of separate attacks that have put authorities on high alert.

Russian hackers were blamed for accessing millions of medical records at Medibank, Australia's largest private health insurer, in an unsuccessful extortion attempt in November last year.

Telecom company Optus fell victim to a similarly massive data breach in September, during which the personal details of up to 9.8 million people were accessed.

sft/arb/qan

MPL - MEDIBANK PRIVATE LIMITED

Related Links
Cyberwar - Internet Security News - Systems and Policy Issues

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
CYBER WARS
After backlash, Twitter now calls NPR -- and BBC -- 'government-funded'
Washington (AFP) April 9, 2023
Twitter has backtracked after an uproar for labeling the US radio network NPR as "state- affiliated media" and now calls it "government-funded." Elon Musk's social media network has also applied that new label to the BBC, which is funded predominantly by British households paying a license fee. Britain's beloved national broadcaster has reached out to Twitter for clarification, news reports said. The change in how Twitter refers to Washington-based National Public Radio happened quietly over ... read more

CYBER WARS
CYBER WARS
Scoping out the next sampling stop for Perseverance

New interactive mosaic uses NASA imagery to show Mars in vivid detail

Ready for Software Upgrade Sols 3786-3788

MOXIE Celebrates 2 Years on Mars: Discoveries and Work Left To Do

CYBER WARS
NASA's first flight with crew critical to long-term return to the moon

First woman, Black astronaut, Canadian to make 2024 flight around Moon

NASA to reveal crew for 2024 flight around the Moon

U.S. Navy pilot to become first person of color to go to the moon

CYBER WARS
Europe's Jupiter probe launched

Spotlight on Ganymede, Juice's primary target

Search for alien life extends to Jupiter's icy moons

Europe's JUICE mission to launch for Jupiter's icy moons

CYBER WARS
Do Earth-like exoplanets have magnetic fields

New paper investigates exoplanet climates

JWST confirms giant planet atmospheres vary widely

Planet hunting and the origins of life

CYBER WARS
Musk's Twitter marks BBC, NPR as 'government funded' but not Tesla or SpaceX

Purdue offering new online Hypersonics Graduate Certificate

NASA's TEMPO spacecraft hitched a ride with Intelsat's 40e satellite on a SpaceX rocket

Privately built, liquid-fuel rocket first in world to reach orbit in debut flight

CYBER WARS
China's inland space launch site advances commercial services

China's Shenzhou XV astronauts complete 3rd spacewalk

China's Shenzhou-15 astronauts to return in June

China's space technology institute sees launches of 400 spacecraft

CYBER WARS
Psyche updated plan puts mission on track for October launch

Two meteorites are providing a detailed look into outer space

NASA prepares for historic asteroid sample delivery on Sept 24

Large asteroid to zoom between Earth and Moon

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.