QANTAS Cyber Incident

[Flyfrequently]

I got this email

Dear xx_xx_,

Recent personal account information change

We are writing to confirm that, as requested, we have updated your Name in our records. Your protection and security is very important to us. Therefore, if you did not personally request an update to your information, please call Qantas Premier Card Support immediately on 1300 992 700 (+61 1300 992 700 if calling from overseas). We're available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This letter has been sent solely as a security measure to authenticate your personal information update. If the update was done at your request, you don't need to take any further action and can ignore this letter.

Yours sincerely,

The Qantas Money Team

I did get thru to Qantas Money, agent says no worries , no further action needed , and to ignore this kind of email over the next few days as the fault is fixed !!!

Yep, same email but it did say if you did not personally request an update...!

 

[Boof1]

Is it just me or is there a lot of unnecessary venom in a lot of the posts in this thread. Sh.. happens

[yes I got both emails]

I feel the same way and like you got both. It happens, and while QF have had some mistakes in recent times, they seem to be doing lots to resolve this one.

 

[ozflier]

I feel the same way and like you got both. It happens, and while QF have had some mistakes in recent times, they seem to be doing lots to resolve this one.

People can be a little sensitive if they have been scammed in the past !

 

[RooFlyer]

Sh.. happens

Sure it does, but doesn't the reason for it happening comes into play?

Weather event affecting flights. That Sh happens, fine

Data hack due to possible poor data management/training/something in the company's control - that Sh shouldn't happen and if it does, angst, or venom depending on your tolerance for having your personal info stolen, can be understandable.

 

[Quickstatus]

Sh.. happens

I have reviewed the Privacy Act 1988, the subsequent amedments and the Australian Privacy Principles Guidelines - Security of Personal information

"Sh happens" is actually not an excuse, and not permissible under the Act.

 

[DejaBrew]

Is it just me or is there a lot of unnecessary venom in a lot of the posts in this thread. Sh.. happens

[yes I got both emails]

I think it’s also due to the simple fact that Qantas has - especially in recent years - burnt a lot of the good will that customers might have otherwise afforded them.

 

[DejaBrew]

"Sh happens" is actually not an excuse, and not permissible under the Act.

I’m sure it’s in there somewhere under…. umm….

 

[RooFlyer]

[Vanessa Hudson] Was back in Australia yesterday but flew home on QF so had no wi fi so couln't keep in touch. Was on last night;s news.
Maybe her experience might speed up the roll out of wi fi in QF planes. But probably not.

Probably a constant stream of scribbled notes between the flightdeck receiving word on the radio and VH.

OTOH, if she flew QR with Starlink, she could’ve had a continuous video call on her phone ( but may have been shushed by the FA).

I promise my name is not Joe Aston (from his Rampart column today ...)



Or maybe he gets his material from AFF ...

 

[Aeryn]

they seem to be doing lots to resolve this one.

What is this lots they are doing? All they did was take 2 full days to notify impacted customers; and their CEO hide from all media for longer than that.

I see no evidence of any real action to improve security of our PII or to ensure such a breach wont happen via a 3rd party again.

Now immediately cancelling contract with the Manila based call centre or at least not routing any calls there until this has been fully resolved would have been doing something. Giving us new FF#s would have been doing something. Providing Equifax account to monitor unauthorized access would be do something. Strengthening passwords to more than a 4 digit pin would be doing something.

A half hearted apology with no guarantees nor compensation is not doing lots. Its not even the bare minimum really.

 

[I love to travel]

Mr Flyfrequently has just received email from [email protected] acknowledging the change in his personal details..... he didn't, hasn't used his Mastercard in ages - coincidence???

I got one from Coles too. I rang and they said to ignore as it was an error

 

[SeatBackForward]

I see no evidence of any real action to improve security of our PII or to ensure such a breach wont happen via a 3rd party again.

You can bet they're taking actions to protect themselves personally from any liability as an immediate action.

 

[Boof1]

What is this lots they are doing? All they did was take 2 full days to notify impacted customers; and their CEO hide from all media for longer than that.

I see no evidence of any real action to improve security of our PII or to ensure such a breach wont happen via a 3rd party again.

Now immediately cancelling contract with the Manila based call centre or at least not routing any calls there until this has been fully resolved would have been doing something. Giving us new FF#s would have been doing something. Providing Equifax account to monitor unauthorized access would be do something. Strengthening passwords to more than a 4 digit pin would be doing something.

A half hearted apology with no guarantees nor compensation is not doing lots. Its not even the bare minimum really.

This response is a classic Dunning Kruger example, of which there are many, many in the thread.

The reality is most of us don’t know enough, to know we don’t know enough to comment.

However, having myself been through what Qantas are going through, and having dealt with the ACSC and many other agencies that Qantas have quoted, I am confident that Qantas are doing more than enough and more than they are publicly stating. Expert advice in these situations is normally to only share as much as is needed while the authorities and investigations happen.

The fact that in the next few days 6 million QFF members will know exactly which details were obtained is one example of the work that is going into this.

And for what it is worth, other than those who did the wrong thing (the hackers), everyone else involved would feel horrible about this event happening, and nobody goes to work intentionally letting things like this happen.

Be mad it happened for sure, but be mad at the rascals that did it, not the staff that are also victims.

 

[kookaburra75]

I have reviewed the Privacy Act 1988, the subsequent amedments and the Australian Privacy Principles Guidelines - Security of Personal information

"Sh happens" is actually not an excuse, and not permissible under the Act.

As a Director, I would love to be able to use a "Sh..Happens" excuse, but I don't think ASIC would buy it, or our D&O insurer: Hopefully Qantas' insurer is asking the same questions.

 

[AuSammy]

I see no evidence of any real action to improve security of our PII or to ensure such a breach wont happen via a 3rd party again

The corollary is you also have no evidence they are not doing that.

You can rant as much as you like but assumptions from a distance about something none of us has access to or inside knowledge doesn’t help anyone one iota.

The common sense approach is for the company to complete their investigations and make considered decisions rather than half coughed reactions

 

[Daver6]

What is this lots they are doing? All they did was take 2 full days to notify impacted customers; and their CEO hide from all media for longer than that.

I see no evidence of any real action to improve security of our PII or to ensure such a breach wont happen via a 3rd party again.

Now immediately cancelling contract with the Manila based call centre or at least not routing any calls there until this has been fully resolved would have been doing something. Giving us new FF#s would have been doing something. Providing Equifax account to monitor unauthorized access would be do something. Strengthening passwords to more than a 4 digit pin would be doing something.

A half hearted apology with no guarantees nor compensation is not doing lots. Its not even the bare minimum really.

Probably no legal grounds to cancel the contract. If they stopped routing calls there, then you'd be complaining that you're waiting on hold for hours when you call QF now that capacity has just been slashed.

 

[AuSammy]

Probably no legal grounds to cancel the contract. If they stopped routing calls there, then you'd be complaining that you're waiting on hold for hours when you call QF now that capacity has just been slashed.

Seems rather illogical to cancel a contract that would have cost millions to set up with training etc and sack dozens or more because one worker got tricked by a sophisticated con man.

I mean if one of your staff clicks on a dodgy link in an email in an office in Melbourne do you sack everyone in that office?

 

[lovestotravel]

Now immediately cancelling contract with the Manila based call centre or at least not routing any calls there until this has been fully resolved would have been doing something. Giving us new FF#s would have been doing something. Providing Equifax account to monitor unauthorized access would be do something. Strengthening passwords to more than a 4 digit pin would be doing something.

A half hearted apology with no guarantees nor compensation is not doing lots. Its not even the bare minimum really.

Agree - QF have done the bare minimum, if that.

For me 12 months of credit monitoring would be the minimum, but the QF fanbois/staff on here said that would be a bad idea.....

 

[Aeryn]

The common sense approach is for the company to complete their investigations and make considered decisions rather than half coughed reaction

I've given solid examples about how they could help, there is precedence in providing free credit monitoring from other breaches. Waiting just gives the thieves more opportunities to misuse the the stolen data.

everyone else involved would feel horrible about this event happening, and nobody goes to work intentionally letting things like this happen.

We can agree to disagree I've had displeasure of working with many individuals whose care factor taken in their job performance is really low.

At most companies IT send fake phishing emails and time and time again the same people fall for the most obvious scams and end up on the naughty list. It isn't that that they don't know what to look for and check, IME they more often than not just can't be bothered to do so or don't stop and think before they act.

Be mad it happened for sure, but be mad at the rascals that did it, not the staff that are also victims.

From statements made this wasn't a hack of core systems nor anything sophisticated. If staff member at the outsourced call centre shared their logon credentials with a caller or clicked on a phishing email or installed some software they made a conscious choice to do so making them one of the rascals. I'm comfortable that my anger at their negligence is far from misplaced.

Just as i feel valid being angry at the call centre operator for not having more controls in place like preventing log-in to systems off premises or outside VPN and saving PII like DOB details in their 3rd party system.

If they stopped routing calls there, then you'd be complaining that you're waiting on hold for hours when you call QF now that capacity has just been slashed.

Nope Id rather wait longer to speak with staff in Tas/NZ staff and know issue will be resolved first time than have to make multiple calls to less capable outsourced call centres. And Id prefer they invest instead in fixing the website so less calls are required full stop.

I hope the backlash from this proves to be impetus for Qantas to upsize their own call centres and ditch the outsourced ones that have consistently provided poor customer experience. It might be cheaper to hire someone in Manilla but if its takes multiple calls to have the simplest issues resolved then how much does it save in the long run?

 

[serfty]

Today's update ( https://www.qantas.com/au/en/support/information-for-customers-on-cyber-incident.html )

Hacker Finally Makes Contact With Qantas After Being on Hold for 72 Hours — The Shovel

The hacker waited for hours, had their call cancelled, rebooked, tried looking at other carriers, and finally managed to find a service before they gave up on their planned holiday entirely.

theshovel.com.au

 

[serfty]

Today's update ( https://www.qantas.com/au/en/support/information-for-customers-on-cyber-incident.html )

Hacker Finally Makes Contact With Qantas After Being on Hold for 72 Hours — The Shovel

The hacker waited for hours, had their call cancelled, rebooked, tried looking at other carriers, and finally managed to find a service before they gave up on their planned holiday entirely.

theshovel.com.au

Today's update ( https://www.qantas.com/au/en/support/information-for-customers-on-cyber-incident.html )

Hacker Finally Makes Contact With Qantas After Being on Hold for 72 Hours — The Shovel

The hacker waited for hours, had their call cancelled, rebooked, tried looking at other carriers, and finally managed to find a service before they gave up on their planned holiday entirely.

theshovel.com.au