October 25, 2022
Medibank customers will be very distressed to hear confirmation today that their personal medical information has been stolen in a cyber attack.
Despite the company’s initial denials, customers worst fears have now been realised.
After a slow and confused response to the Optus cyber attack, it is concerning that it took the Cyber Security Minister Clare O’Neil a week to publicly respond to the Medibank hack.
Ms O’Neil should explain why she accepted the company’s initial denial this was serious, delaying government engagement by a week.
In a cyber attack, time is of the essence. Early engagement by the government allows the facts to be established, data theft to potentially be disrupted, and gives customers time to take any necessary steps to mitigate the consequences of the breach.
Every day lost worsens the damage done.
Medibank victims have every right to know what steps the Albanese government took, and when. The government should release a clear timeline of the actions they took following the initial disclosure of the attack on 13 October.
