Origin Energy has confirmed the worst, revealing it was targeted by hackers who stole the personal information of millions of customers.
The energy giant launched an urgent investigation on Wednesday after a hacker claimed to have accessed the company’s records.
“Origin can confirm there has been unauthorised access and disclosure of some customers’ data,” the company said in a statement on Thursday afternoon.
“We are working to understand the total number of impacted customers, and we will contact any customers where we confirm they have been affected.
“For affected customers, impacted data may include name, address, date of birth, contact phone number and account information, as well as the last four digits of a credit card, or the last four digits of a bank account.
“Incomplete credit card or bank account information cannot be used to make purchases or access accounts.”
Origin CEO Frank Calabria also issued a statement, apologising to customers.
“I’m sorry this has happened,” Mr Calabria said.
“Customers trust Origin with their information, and I apologise for the impact this may cause.
“We are contacting affected customers, offering support and have set up a dedicated contact number and additional resources to help manage our response to this incident.
“One of our key priorities is taking action to secure our systems and ensure no further unauthorised access. We are working with independent cyber experts to support Origin, and that work is continuing alongside the work of authorities.”
Origin continues to work with Australian Government agencies, including the Australian Cyber Security Centre, the Australian Federal Police and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner to get to the bottom of the breach.
