Origin confirms customer data stolen in cyber hack

Origin Energy has confirmed the personal information of some of its customers has been stolen in a suspected cyber hack.

The energy giant said in a statement today it was still working to determine how many customers had been affected and would contact those impacted directly.

Origin confirmed the compromised information may include customers’ names, addresses, dates of birth, phone numbers and account details, as well as partial payment details like the last four digits of credit cards, or the last three of a bank account.

The energy retailer said incomplete credit card or bank account information can’t be used to make purchases or access accounts.

However, experts say stolen customer data remains a major threat for secondary scams, even without full financial details being leaked.

“Personal information such as names, addresses, phone numbers and email addresses can still be valuable to cybercriminals and may be used for targeted phishing, identity theft and social engineering attacks,” said Dr Rahat Masood, a cybersecurity expert at the University of NSW.

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“While it is too early to speculate on the cause of this incident, transparent communication and a well-managed response are critical for maintaining public trust.”

Origin first announced it was investigating the hack on Wednesday, when it said it was looking into what it described as a “potential security incident”.

On Thursday afternoon, it confirmed a hack had taken place with personal information stolen.

“I’m sorry this has happened,” Origin chief executive Frank Calabria said in a statement to the share market.

“Customers trust Origin with their information, and I apologise for the impact this may cause.

“We are contacting affected customers, offering support and have set up a dedicated contact number and additional resources to help manage our response to this incident.

“One of our key priorities is taking action to secure our systems and ensure no further unauthorised access.

“We are working with independent cyber experts to support Origin, and that work is continuing alongside the work of authorities.”

Origin is just one of several major Australian companies to be hit by a data breach in the last few years, following similar incidents at Optus, Qantas and Medibank.

According to Origin’s latest annual report, the retailer has about 4.7 million customers.

The company is one of the most valuable in Australia, with a market capitalisation of about $18 billion – more than any other energy retailer in the country.