Austal hit by cyber attack

Australian defence shipbuilder Austal was recently struck by a data breach incident and a simultaneous extortion attempt.

The breach targeted the email addresses and mobile phone numbers of some of the company’s staff. The attacker attempted to engage in extortion and to sell certain items online.

The Australian Department of Defence has confirmed that no sensitive or classified information or technology has so far been compromised by the attack. However, the company has informed a small number of stakeholders who have potentially been impacted by the breach.

The matter has been referred to the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) and the Australian Federal Police (AFP) for investigation.