Latitude Group Holdings has reported that hackers have stolen close to 8 million Australian and New Zealand driver’s license numbers, along with roughly 53,000 passport numbers and more than 6 million customer records primarily from the period between 2005 and 2013.
The cyberattack, which temporarily halted Latitude’s operations, affected significantly more customers than the company initially disclosed on March 16 when it reported 103,000 license numbers as stolen.
The Australian government has increased penalties for companies that fail to safeguard customer data as part of its ongoing national cybersecurity strategy overhaul.
Cyber Security Minister Clare O’Neil remarked that this event serves as a reminder of the need to enhance Australia’s cybersecurity and privacy standards.
Latitude is working with authorities to manage the attack’s impact and has stated that its insurance covers cybersecurity risks. CEO Ahmed Fahour stated that the company is rectifying the affected platforms and is implementing additional security monitoring as it resumes operations in the next few days.
