Qantas Data Breach Impacts 5.7 Million Customers. Here's What We Know

Qantas suffered a data breach that has impacted 5.7 million customers.

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Qantas, Australia's largest airline, has confirmed that the personal information of 5.7 million customers was compromised in a data breach detected at the end of June.

Bad actors gained access to customers' names, email addresses, phone numbers, birthdates, meal preferences and frequent flyer numbers via a third-party platform used by a Qantas call center. 

According to the airline, the stolen information isn't enough to access frequent flyer accounts. Passwords, passport details and credit card information are not held in the breached system. However, in the wrong hands, stolen data could lead to phishing attacks and eventually identity theft or fraud.

"Our absolute focus since the incident has been to understand what data has been compromised for each of the 5.7 million impacted customers and to share this with them as soon as possible," CEO Vanessa Hudson said in a statement.

Qantas is contacting affected customers via email, it said. Customers can also contact Qantas via a dedicated support line at 1800-971-541 or +61 2 8028 0534. 

Earlier this week, a company spokesperson confirmed to CNET that a cybercriminal claiming to be responsible for the attack contacted the company. Due to it being a criminal matter, Qantas declined to comment further on the communication. But it did say in an email that there's no evidence to suggest that any of the stolen information has been released.

What if I was affected by the Qantas breach?

Qantas says that no passwords or credit card information were stolen in this breach. However, the data accessed is enough for cybercriminals to create targeted phishing attacks via email and text. These attacks aim to trick you into coughing up more of your data or scamming you out of your money. 

As Qantas contacts affected customers, it may offer free identity theft and credit monitoring tools. My advice is to take advantage of this. Coverage tends to last for 12 months and offers a good way to keep a pulse on your identity online. I'm currently using free identity theft protection provided to me as a result of a data breach in which my data was recently compromised.

You can also sign up for identity theft protection on your own after the offer expires. In the meantime, look over your credit reports for signs of identity theft, including suspicious accounts you did not open.