Australian Insider Cyber Fraud, 06 March 2023

Australian National Maritime Museum hit by alleged ‘trusted insider’ attack

Contractor allegedly accessed accounting system, changing bank account details stored to his own

AFP Media Release: Third-party IT contractor arrested for $90,000 fraud
Source: Australian National Maritime Museum hit by alleged ‘trusted insider’ attack | iTNews

View more incidents relating to Insider Threats, and New South Wales.

A Sydney man faced Burwood Local Court on Friday (3 March, 2023) after he was arrested by the AFP for an alleged cybercrime-enabled fraud against the Australian National Maritime Museum (ANMM).

It will be alleged the man was a contracted IT support worker to a third-party provider who accessed ANMM’s account payable system and illegally changed bank account details stored in the museum’s system to his own.

In addition to allegedly altering details of stored accounts, police said the financial details of several individuals and businesses were also unlawfully obtained, resulting in the man allegedly using credit card information to make a series of unauthorised purchases.”

Cybercrime operations investigators from the Australian Federal Police alleged they had been able to link the man to “unauthorised access of several systems and servers.”

Investigators executed a search warrant at the man’s Macquarie Park home where he was arrested and charged with:

• Two counts of unauthorised access and modification with intent to commit a serious computer offence, contrary to section 477.1 of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth),
• Four counts of dishonestly obtaining or dealing in personal financial information, contrary to section 480.4 of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth), and
• Five counts of dishonestly obtaining property by deception, contrary to section 192E of the Crimes Act 1900 (NSW).

Police also seized several electronic items including a laptop, hard drives and a mobile phone that will be subject to further forensic analysis and could result in additional charges.