Origin Energy, an Australian utility provider serving 4.8 million customer accounts for electricity, gas, and internet services, disclosed a data breach affecting customer information. The company confirmed that personal details including names, addresses, dates of birth, phone numbers, and Origin account information were accessed. Additionally, partial financial data was compromised, consisting of the last four digits of credit cards or the last three digits of bank accounts.
Origin stated that the incomplete financial information accessed could not be used to make purchases or access accounts. The company had initially indicated that full credit card or bank details were not accessed, though this assessment was later clarified regarding the partial data obtained. A person claiming responsibility for the hack contacted media outlets with unverified claims that 2 million customers were affected, though Origin has not confirmed the exact number of impacted accounts. The company said it would notify customers individually once it determined whether their specific data was compromised.
Origin Chief Executive Frank Calabria issued a statement acknowledging the incident and apologizing for the situation. The company said it was working with independent cybersecurity experts and authorities to secure its systems and prevent further unauthorized access. The company did not provide details on how the hack occurred.
Cybersecurity experts warned of potential risks from the leaked data. La Trobe University cybersecurity lecturer Rumpa Dasgupta cautioned that the information could be misused for targeted phishing campaigns, identity theft schemes, and physical crimes such as burglary. Scammers could potentially impersonate business representatives to deceive customers using the personal information.
Multiple authorities initiated investigations, including the Australian Cyber Security Centre, Australian Federal Police, and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner. The National Office of Cyber Security is coordinating the government response. A media outlet was first contacted by the alleged hacker on Tuesday and alerted Origin before the company made its public statement on Wednesday.
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