OptiComm

Summary

OptiComm, a fibre network provider whose services are resold by Telstra, experienced a data breach affecting approximately 3,000 Telstra customers with OptiComm-based broadband services. The breach occurred between late 2023 and early 2024, with data allegedly obtained from OptiComm's systems and disclosed to customers in April 2024.

What Happened

A threat actor obtained access to customer data from OptiComm's systems between late 2023 and early 2024. The leaked data file contained approximately 47,281 rows of data, though much of it was identified as dummy or test data. About 3,000 rows contained actual Telstra customer information for customers using OptiComm's fibre network infrastructure.

OptiComm confirmed that its operating and business systems were not directly compromised, suggesting the data may have been obtained through other means such as an authorized user account, third-party integration, or social engineering.

Impact on Individuals

The compromised data included:

• Customer names
• Email addresses
• Phone numbers

Data NOT compromised:

• Credit card or banking information
• Passwords
• Driver's licenses or identity documents
• Service usage data

While the breach affected a relatively small number of customers, the exposed contact information creates risks for:

• Targeted phishing campaigns mimicking telecommunications provider communications
• Telecommunications-focused scams (e.g., fake support calls)
• Spam and telemarketing

Organisational Response

Telstra, as the customer-facing provider, contacted all impacted customers to inform them of the breach and offered support from IDCARE, Australia's national identity and cybersecurity community support service. Telstra worked closely with OptiComm to investigate how the data was accessed.

The breach highlighted the complex supply chain relationships in telecommunications, where major carriers rely on third-party infrastructure providers, creating potential security vulnerabilities even when the primary carrier's systems remain secure. Customers may not even be aware that their data is held by infrastructure providers like OptiComm rather than their direct service provider.

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