Cybercriminals may have potentially compromised a dataset from ForceNet, Australia’s defense e-communications platform, in an attack on an external provider, according to the country’s defense personnel.
When the breach was first disclosed, there was no evidence of compromise related to data of serving or former military personnel, according to government officials. However, all employees were still suggested to change their passwords.
“I want to stress this isn't an attack or breach on defence ICT systems. It's on an external provider defence contracts to run one of their websites,” Thistlethwaite told ABC radio.
The compromised dataset appears to be dating back to 2018 and seems to contain 30,000 to 40,000 records. These numbers do not necessarily relate to the scope of the breach – just to what could have potentially been accessed.
According to the Minister for Veterans' Affairs of Australia, Matt Keogh, state officials remain confident that no personal information was stolen, but are currently confirming which of the staff could be impacted.
“We understand it may have been about 30 to 40,000 records that they held, so we’re not saying that that’s what’s out there but that’s what the external provider held. But we’re working now to get a full picture of who those individuals might have been,” Keogh said.
It remains unclear which external provider suffered the attack, as well as when it took place.
Earlier this week, another defense contractor HENSOLDT France, which offers electronics solutions, products, and services for the aeronautical, defense, energy, and transport sectors, was targeted in a ransomware attack by the Snatch ransomware gang.
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