Sydney cyberattack: Double Bay, Paddington and Watsons Bay library services hit as personal information and credit card details are exposed
- Affluent Sydney suburbs targeted by cyber attack
- Hacker gained access to personal and credit card information
Several affluent Sydney suburbs have been hit by a cyber attack, potentially exposing the details of anyone who used library services.
Woollahra Council has contacted residents with library accounts in surrounding suburbs to warn them that their details have been exposed, including passwords, contact details and partial credit card details.
Several library functions stopped working after the remote software attack was launched, affecting services in Double Bay, Paddington and Watsons Bay.
The software is used by the library to manage bookings, issue fines, provide computer access and print or scan.
An email has been sent to library users warning that the information stored in the software is limited to contact information.
Several affluent Sydney suburbs have been hit by a cyber attack, potentially exposing the details of anyone who used library services
“The information stored may include your name, email address, mobile number, landline number and postal address,” said Craig Swift-McNair, chief executive of Woollahra Council.
'For a small number of customers, the system also stored encrypted passwords used to access the booking system and some also contained partial credit card payment details.'
According to the municipality, the attack took place on December 15.
A council spokesperson said the person behind the attack may have had access to the customer's personal information.
However, the extent of the potential breach is currently unknown.
'The type of information stored in the software is limited to contact details of customers who have used one or more of the services of one of our libraries, where the information stored may include a name, email address, mobile number, landline number and postal address. address,” the spokesperson said.
Woollahra Council has contacted residents with library accounts in surrounding suburbs and warned them that their details have been exposed, including passwords, contact details and partial credit card details
'For a small number of customers, the system also stored encrypted passwords used to access the booking system, and some also contained partial credit card payment details.”
As soon as the council became aware of the incident, the system was isolated to prevent further unauthorized access.
The Australian Cyber Security Center and Cyber Security NSW were notified, while the council engaged a specialist cyber forensics firm to investigate the breach.
The spokesperson said that the software supplier has now secured the system.
It is not yet known how many people were affected by the attack.