Cyberattack on a data provider hired by Australia’s Department of Home Affairs has compromised personal data, including information from passports and visas.
As per media reports, a January cyberattack on the Australian company ZicroDATA had exposed data from the Department of Home Affairs, which is in charge of immigration, emergency management, law enforcement, national security, and cyber security in Australia, according to media reports.
A recent departmental alert informed Australian visa holders who used the department’s Free Translating Service (FTS), operated by a ZicroDATA subsidiary, that their passports, driver’s licenses, dates of birth, phone numbers, full names, and visa applications were compromised.
The Department of Home Affairs stated that it was only informed in July that the dataset contained papers that the government had acquired from individuals who used FTS between 2017 and 2022, despite the fact that the material was initially made available on the dark web in February.
FTS clients were warned in the departmental Cyber Security Incident Alert not to try to look for the data on the dark web since doing so could result in additional possible harm.
Media was informed by a department spokeswoman that they were collaborating with ZicroDATA to alert affected clients and provide them with information security tips.
“The department has prioritized accuracy to ensure all relevant details are communicated clearly to those impacted and to put in place the necessary remedial support services, in agreement with ZircoDATA,” they said.
In May, public healthcare provider Monash Health disclosed that it was impacted by the ZicroDATA breach, which compromised historical data about sexual assault support units and family violence from 1970 to 1993.
In a statement released on May 3, Michelle McGuinness, the national cyber security coordinator, stated that she was organizing the federal, state, and territory governments’ reaction to the ZicroDATA incident.
“While work is ongoing, it is clear this breach has also affected other government entities who are clients of ZircoDATA,” McGuinness said at the time.
In order to identify and alert victims, she stated that the National Office of Cyber Security would collaborate with government agencies.
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