
Australian Info and Cyber Security News Last Week 2023-04-24

Reports from 18th April – 24th April
Commentary: Interesting breach this week for TAFE SA where police in an unrelated investigation “found” a USB stick full of student registration and identity documents. I add an old report to my incident archive from earlier in the year where the credit card details of parents were hacked from a school system.
A few minor news items but a report from ASIC “ASIC’s report flagged inconsistencies in dealing with scams between Australia’s big four banks as a major issue” and the banking industries response make good reading. Hopefully, it will drive a few changes… Naivety… surely the banks will do the right thing?

Scammers steal millions from Australians each year, but victims have little recourse
By national consumer affairs reporter Michael Atkin and the Specialist Reporting Team’s Leonie Thorne on Apr 21, 2023 When Sarah Kay realised she had been scammed out of $25,000, her reaction was physical. “I just went into complete panic mode and I just felt …
Queensland moves forward with digital licence trial
By Kate Weber on Apr 21, 2023 Queensland is stepping closer to launching a digital licence with a planned trial at Townsville now underway. Selected business, government and …
Cyber strategy enters next phase after 280 submissions to discussion paper
By Chris Johnson on Apr 21, 2023 Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Home Affairs and Cyber Security Minister Clare O’Neil at the cyber security roundtable on 27 February. Photo: …
Optus data breach class action launched for millions of Australians caught up in cyber attack
By By Ben Knight and staff on Apr 21, 2023 Just over six months since Optus reported a major hack, a class action is being lodged on behalf of customers who say their safety has been …
Scam victims ask why they’re paying the price if bank processes can be replicated so easily
By By Meg Bolton on Apr 21, 2023 One phone call “circulates on repeat” in Queensland widow Trina Panther’s mind. She was in bed on a Sunday morning when her phone started ringing. She …
Western Sydney University takes down student management system
By Jeremy Nadel on Apr 21, 2023 Western Sydney University took down its student management system yesterday after observing “unusual activity”, consistent with a possible cyber …
Incident: Hundreds of parents hit by credit card hack at Lilydale school | The Age
By Steven Kirby on Apr 20, 2023 Australian Education Data Breach, 31 January 2023 Hundreds of parents hit by credit card hack at Melbourne’s Mount Lilydale Mercy catholic school 400 …
Incident: Data of thousands of TAFE SA students stolen in breach spanning over five years | ABC News (Australia)
By Steven Kirby on Apr 20, 2023 Australian Education Data Breach, 4 April 2023 Data of thousands of TAFE SA students stolen in breach spanning over five years SA Police “found” USB …
Data of over 2000 TAFE SA students stolen in major breach | 9 News Australia
By 9 News Australia on Apr 20, 2023 Over 2000 TAFE SA students, along with some applicants, have learnt that their data has ben stolen in a major breach. Subscribe and 🔔: http://9Soci.al/KM6e5…
Thousands of TAFE SA students’ personal data stolen in data breach | 7NEWS
By 7NEWS Australia on Apr 20, 2023 Thousands of TAFE SA students are tonight at the centre of a major data breach that has put sensitive information in the hands of criminals.Police made the d…
Australia signs onto Five Eyes crap software security crackdown
By By Julian Bajkowski on Apr 20, 2023 The days of big software vendors shipping major releases riddled with security holes marketed as ‘convenience features’ are one step closer to ending …
Queensland University of Technology has ‘no way to verify’ if hacked data from thousands of staff and students was sold
By By Jemima Burt on Apr 20, 2023 The Queensland University of Technology (QUT) has admitted it has no way of knowing if some of the highly sensitive data of more than 11,000 current …
Privacy Commission says Latitude cyber attackers got away with data on 20% of the population
By ROB STOCK on Apr 20, 2023 Private information on one in five New Zealanders is now in the hands of cyber criminals who stole it from lender Latitude Financial. That made the …
Medibank hack victims’ compensation in limbo due to unexpected hurdle
By Colin Kruger on Apr 20, 2023 Attempts to compensate nearly 10 million victims of the Medibank Private hack have hit an unexpected hurdle after the privacy commissioner flagged …
Inside a cybercriminal’s mind: Hacker claims Australians are the easiest targets and ‘the stupidest humans alive’
By Ben Talintyre on Apr 20, 2023 A hacker claims Aussies are the easiest targets and the ‘stupidest humans alive’ as he lifts the lid on how cyber gangs target individuals and …
SA Health’s ICT systems impacted by ‘electrical incident’
By Ry Crozier on Apr 20, 2023 SA Health ICT teams were working through last night to restore access to systems such as its Sunrise electronic medical record after an “electrical …
ANZ consumers believe consent should be sought first before sharing data: study
By Staff Writer on Apr 19, 2023 Consumers in ANZ are far more likely to prioritise data consent over personalised experiences with 70% of them believing consent should be sought …
iTWire – CSIRO program to help SMEs ‘advance’ cyber security and digital technology R&D
By Gordon Peters on Apr 19, 2023 Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO is helping small to medium enterprises (SMEs) enhance their research and development (R&D) knowledge with …
Macquarie strengthens St John Ambulance cyber defence
By Staff Writer on Apr 19, 2023 St John Ambulance NSW has signed a deal with Macquarie Cloud Services, part of Macquarie Telecom Group, to bolster cyber protection across its cloud …
Australian insurers warn against outright ransomware payment ban
By Ry Crozier on Apr 19, 2023 The Insurance Council of Australia has warned the government to tread carefully in its contemplation of an outright ban on paying ransoms and …
Thank you