Breach, Privacy

Origin Energy confirms data breach impacting millions of customers

(Adobe Stock)

Following insights from Bleeping Computer, Australian energy provider Origin Energy has confirmed a significant data breach affecting potentially millions of its customers, exposing a range of personally identifiable information.

Origin Energy, Australia's largest energy retailer, has confirmed a data breach after an unknown threat actor gained unauthorized access to customer data. The exposed information includes full names, physical addresses, dates of birth, phone numbers, account details, and partial financial information such as the last four digits of credit card numbers and the last three digits of bank account numbers. The company emphasized that the financial details are incomplete and cannot be used for unauthorized transactions. The breach was initially investigated after a threat actor claiming to be "John Doe" contacted media outlets alleging to possess data from 2 million customers and threatening to leak it if demands were not met. Origin Energy has notified the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Cyber Security Centre, and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner. Affected customers are being contacted directly and offered support. This incident highlights the ongoing cybersecurity risks faced by large utility providers and the critical need for robust data protection measures.

Source: Bleeping Computer

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