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In September 2022 private data for around 9 million Optus users was stolen.
In response, the CEO of Optus Australia has offered an emotional apology after customers raged about the hack online. A statement from Optus said that Information which may have been exposed includes customers' names, dates of birth, phone numbers, email addresses, and, for a subset of customers, addresses, ID document numbers such as driver's licence or passport numbers.
It is thought that 2.8 million people had all of their details taken, while information for around 7 million people which included DOB, email address, and phone numbers was stolen. Optus is "very sorry" and knows that "customers will be concerned". Optus has said its services were not affected in the breach and remain safe to use, with messages and voice calls not compromised.
Customers have taken to social media to say that the telco had not yet contacted them to make them aware of the breach.
Nothing to worry about. Just another online day in Australia.
(Score: 4, Informative) by MostCynical on Saturday September 24 2022, @10:42PM (2 children)
When you buy a phone on a plan [optus.com.au], you are entering a lease [optus.com.au] - so, finance. As with any finance (car, home loan) you need to prove your identity - so, licence or passport.
The problem is the way this information is stored.
"I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
(Score: 4, Informative) by deimtee on Sunday September 25 2022, @11:02AM (1 child)
That too, but you can buy a prepaid SIM card and have your own phone and you still need to provide ID to get it connected to a network.
No problem is insoluble, but at Ksp = 2.943×10−25 Mercury Sulphide comes close.
(Score: 2) by RS3 on Wednesday September 28 2022, @04:59PM
In the US. I'm using a prepaid plan. I bought a SIM card in a store, cash, no ID requested nor given. I called the provider and gave some info- full name, postal address (which could have been a PO box), an email address (which I don't think was necessary), but no driver's license, no DOB nor anything else.
Bottom line: I never provided any form of physical ID- just verbal over the phone, and fairly limited at that.