SA government workers hit by cyber attack
As many as 80,000 South Australian government employees have been affected by a major cyber attack. Photo: Getty
As many as 80,000 South Australian government workers may have had their personal details hacked after a ransomware cyber attack directed at an external payroll provider.
The should government said it was recently informed by Frontier Software that it was the victim of a ransomware attack, and confirmed on Thursday that significant personal information had been stolen from Frontier’s systems.
The previous day, Frontier had also confirmed some state government data had been stolen from its network and published on the dark web.
“I have been advised that the records of at least 38,000 employees were accessed and that up to 80,000 employees might have been accessed,” Treasurer Rob Lucas said.
“The government is currently working with Frontier to try and establish a more accurate estimate.”
The data accessed includes names, tax file numbers, bank account details, dates of birth, payroll information and superannuation contributions.
Employees have been advised to contact their financial institutions and monitor statements for any unauthorised transactions.
The government said people should consider adding additional security, by changing passwords or adding two-factor authorisation.
They should also be alert to any emails, text messages or phone calls from people requesting personal or account information, including access to devices.
“The government’s priority is the safety and security of every employee affected by this incident and we are doing all we can to provide assistance to impacted employees,” Mr Lucas said.
“We are deeply disappointed that this breach occurred and are working closely with Frontier Software to investigate how this incident happened.
“We apologise to all South Australian government employees affected.”
Mr Lucas said the state government had partnered with cybersecurity support service IDCARE to work with employees to develop a response plan and provide personal support throughout the process.
All public sector employees have been sent an email advising of the level of information that was compromised and providing information on how to access help and support.
-AAP
