Ransomware Hackers Target Communications Platform Used by Australian Military
By Staff, Agencies
A communications platform used by Australian military personnel and defense staff has been hit by ransomware hackers, authorities said Monday, amid a recent spike in cyberattacks in the country.
Australian government’s defense department fears the personal data of military personnel, including dates of birth and other information, may have been compromised in the large-scale attack.
Hackers reportedly targeted the ForceNet service, one of the external providers that the department contracts to run one of its websites, with the company initially telling the defense department that no data of current or former personnel had been compromised.
"I want to stress that this isn't an attack or a breach on defense [technology] systems and entities," assistant minister for defense Matt Thistlethwaite was quoted as saying by ABC Radio.
"At this stage, there is no evidence that the data set has been breached, that's the data that this company holds on behalf of the defense."
Australia’s state media, however, cited knowledgeable sources as saying that the department believed “some private details such as dates of birth and dates of enlisting may have been stolen.”
A defense department spokesperson told Reuters in an emailed statement that it was examining the contents of the impacted data set and what personal information it contained.
Australia's minister for defense Personnel Matt Keogh said ForceNet held up to 40,000 records.
Ransom software works by encrypting victims' data and hackers typically will offer the victim a key in return for cryptocurrency payments that can run into the hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars.
Australia has been hit by a spate of cyber-attacks in recent weeks, from telecommunication companies to health insurers.
Since late September, Australia’s No. 2 telecoms company Optus, owned by Singapore Telecommunications Ltd, and the country’s biggest health insurer, Medibank Private Ltd, have had their data hacked, exposing 14 million customer accounts, equivalent to 56 percent of the country's population.
Medibank last week said a criminal entity was behind the cyber-attack on the company, managing access to the data of at least 4 million customers, including health claims.
