Australia frets over data release after huge hack

Sydney: Australia’s government said Tuesday it was “incredibly concerned” over the reported release of customers’ personal data stolen from a telecoms company in one of the largest hacks in the country’s history.

Information on up to 9.8 million Australian customers of telecoms provider Optus — more than one-third of the country’s population — may have been compromised in the cyberattack, which was revealed last week.

An anonymous poster who claimed to be behind the data breach reportedly released the personal data of more than 10,000 people late on Monday.