In a major security alert, Origin Energy has announced they are probing a cybersecurity breach that could have compromised the data of millions of Australians.
The energy giant disclosed this potential data breach in a statement to the ASX on Wednesday afternoon, noting that unauthorized access to customer information might have occurred.
Importantly, the company has assured the public that they do not believe any of the compromised data includes sensitive financial information such as credit card or bank account details.
“We recognize the concerns this incident may pose and empathize with the uncertainty faced by our customers,” the company stated.
“Our investigation into the breach is being conducted with the utmost urgency, and we commit to keeping our customers informed with further updates as they become available,” the statement concluded.
Earlier, The Australian newspaper reported it had received a sample of 50 customer records containing names, addresses, emails, dates of birth, phone numbers and bill history via a hacker.
The paper reported that a ransom had yet to be demanded.
Origin has 4.8 million customer accounts in Australia and provides electricity, natural gas, LPG, and internet services to residential and business customers.
The company says it has notified the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Cyber Security Centre and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner about the incident.
Shares in the company had dropped nearly 3 per cent from the open at 1.30pm.