Qantas Breach: 6 Million Customers at Risk in Major Cyber Attack

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Date: July 2nd 2025

By: | TheCyberGuyAU

Qantas has confirmed a cyber attack has exposed the personal data of millions of its customers — a stark reminder that no brand, no matter how trusted, is immune.

What happened?

On Monday, Qantas detected unusual activity on a third-party system used by its call centre. That system, now confirmed as compromised, held records for 6 million customers.

The initial investigation suggests that a “significant proportion” of the data has been stolen.

  • Names
  • Email addresses
  • Phone numbers
  • Dates of birth
  • Frequent flyer numbers

The good news? Qantas says no credit card data, passport numbers, or login credentials were involved.

“Our customers trust us with their personal information and we take that responsibility seriously.”
— Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudson

Who’s behind it?

While Qantas has not officially confirmed the group responsible, cybersecurity analysts at CyberCX say the attack has the hallmarks of Scattered Spider — an aggressive, international threat group.

The FBI recently warned about this group targeting the aviation sector, particularly third-party systems and IT vendors.

Why this matters

This is a wake-up call for any business relying on third-party service providers.

  • It highlights the risk posed by supply chain attacks.
  • It shows how even non-financial data can be exploited.
  • It reinforces the need for vendor risk audits and incident preparedness.

Just because passwords weren’t stolen doesn’t mean the data isn’t dangerous.

What Qantas is doing now

  • Quarantined the affected system
  • Notified impacted customers
  • Engaged CyberCX to assist with incident response
  • Notified ACSC, OAIC, and the Australian Federal Police

A support line and dedicated information page have also been set up for affected customers.

What businesses can learn

This incident should raise red flags for companies in:

  • Travel and transport
  • Outsourced customer service
  • IT infrastructure and third-party SaaS providers

Top lessons:

  • Audit your third-party vendors regularly
  • Don’t underestimate “non-sensitive” data
  • Test your incident response plan
  • Monitor for impersonation and phishing after breaches

Final Thoughts

6 million records is more than a headline — it’s 6 million opportunities for phishing, fraud, or identity misuse.

As cyber threats evolve, so must our security mindset. Let’s stay proactive, not reactive.

📥 Want more breakdowns like this?
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TheCyberGuyAU

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