First Optus - now Telstra.
When will companies look after our data properly?

https://7news.com.au/technology/telstra/more-than-130000-telstra-customers-data-...


Personal details of customers who asked to remain unlisted have been leaked online. Here’s how to know if you’re affected.


Personal details of more than 130,000 Telstra customers have been exposed online in a major privacy breach.





The telco giant admitted the data, which includes the names, addresses and phone numbers of customers who had asked to remain unlisted, had been released on the White Pages and Directory Assistance Services websites.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Telstra customers exposed in data breach.

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Telstra said no cyber hack was involved, instead it was the result of a “misalignment of databases”.

The company says it has removed the customer details from public view.

“This was a result of a misalignment of databases – no cyber activity was involved,” chief financial officer Michael Ackland said.

“We are conducting an internal investigation to better understand how it happened and to protect against it happening again.”

Telstra apologised for the breach in a company blog post.

“We’re sorry it occurred, and we know we have let you down” Ackland said.

“Protecting our customers’ privacy is absolutely paramount, and for the customers impacted we understand this is an unacceptable breach of your trust.”

All affected customers are being contacted directly and will be offered support through IDCARE.

Consumer rights advocates slammed the breach as not good enough, saying more needs to be done to protect customers.

“I think it’s actually unacceptable and we should expect better from companies holding on to this sort of sensitive information,” Consumer Action Law Centre’s Gerard Brody told 7NEWS.

Cyber security expert Susan McLean said it was concerning for those who chose to stay unlisted for privacy reasons.


“It is equal if not more serious than a data breach.”

It comes as the latest in a series of privacy breaches and data hacks, after the details of millions of Optus and Medibank customers were exposed online in major leaks.

Optus... Medibank... now Telstra.

Time for some huge fines to be introduced for this sort of thing... and I mean HUGE.

Not just 'piddly' little fines which they would probably recover the cost of in a week.

Quote:


What was it doing on the internet in the first place?

I'm almost prepared to swear this BS is being done deliberately (with government approval, of course) to take everyone's minds off more important issues... like the cost of living, interest rates and Covid.

Unacceptable 😐

Actually, my email earlier today WAS about the Telstra data breach.

From today's The West Australian.

I still don't care about it as long as I don't have to get a new drivers licence or passport, our landline number has been in the White Pages and Directory Assistance for 40 years and I only decided to remove it this time because Telstra asked me if I wanted to do it which they've never done before.