Medibank: Data stolen from Australia health insurance available online - BBC

Personal information of hundreds of Australians has been posted online aft it was stolen from the country's largest wellness insurer, Medibank.

Some wellness claims information - including aesculapian process past - was released, on with names, addresses, birthdates and authorities ID numbers.

PM Anthony Albanese said that arsenic a Medibank lawsuit helium was among those acrophobic their information whitethorn go public.

"This is truly pugnacious for people," helium said connected Wednesday.

The information of 9.7 cardinal Medibank customers was stolen past month. A illustration was released connected Wednesday aft the insurer refused to wage a ransom.

It comes amid a drawstring of high-profile information breaches successful Australia.

The merchandise of backstage wellness accusation tin beryllium "distressing and embarrassing", Australian Federal Police said, informing those whose information is yet to beryllium released are astatine hazard of blackmail.

"Please bash not beryllium embarrassed to interaction police… if a idiosyncratic contacts you online, by telephone oregon by SMS threatening to merchandise your information unless outgo is made," Assistant Commissioner Justine Gough said.

All customers affected - whether their accusation has been publically released oregon not - are besides astatine hazard of phishing scams, she said.

Medibank has apologised for what it has called the "malicious weaponisation" of backstage information, and promised to enactment "around the clock" to pass customers whose accusation has been published.

But Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil - who has antecedently said Australia is "a decennary behind" successful cybersecurity - has defended Medibank, saying the institution followed authorities proposal successful not paying the ransom.

The radical liable are "scumbags" and "disgraceful quality beings", she said.

The stolen Medibank information was posted connected a blog linked to Russian ransomware radical REvil, section media report. More information volition beryllium posted soon, the blogpost says.

Medibank says the accusation was obtained aft login details allowing entree to each its lawsuit information was stolen.

The "criminal" besides obtained entree to information from its subsidiaries, including ahm insurance. Ahm is simply a smaller wellness security marque owned by Medibank.

While millions person been affected, the astir superior breach was for astir 500,000 customers who person had backstage wellness accusation stolen, Medibank said.

But the institution has stressed that nary recognition paper oregon banking details were accessed.

In September Australian telecommunications elephantine Optus was besides targeted for extortion, aft the idiosyncratic information of astir 10 cardinal customers was stolen successful what the institution called a cyber-attack.