ACMA proceedings against Optus
On 20 May 2024, the ACMA filed charges in the Federal Court against Optus alleging that during the data breach between 17 and 20 September 2022, Optus failed to protect the privacy of its customers’ personal information from unauthorized interference or access as required under Telecommunications. (Interception and Access) Act 1979.
The breach accessed the records of up to 9.5 million former and current Optus customers. Of those, 3.6 million were active mobile phone subscribers, and it is in relation to these customers that the ACMA is seeking fines for breaching the law.
The cyberattack resulted in the personally identifiable information of nearly 10,200 Optus customers being published on the dark web. Of the active Optus subscribers, more than 3.1 million had their residential addresses and more than 2.4 million had information such as passports, driving licenses and Medicare numbers.
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