Lets talk about the huge data (said, “Day-Tar” for those who are unsure) Breach!
I just saw an Optus spin doctor feigning distress and weeping for their clients whose data had be access. (I have no doubt she was distressed but not for her clients’ lost but rather her job security!)
More annoyingly was the fawning sycophant reporter from the ABC, who was either incompetent or mentally deficient.
Rather than asking the pretty crying spin merchant the relevant question he mewed these simpering “she seemed really really — you know — upset.”
Putting aside this inept reporting – lets look what is really the issue! [It is important to note this is not limited to Optus – every time you surrender you sovereignty the custody of your information to facebook (Meta) Bunnings or Amazon this happens.]
Breifly this is what we know:
Optus confirmed that customers’ names, dates of birth, phone numbers and email addresses may have been exposed.
Street addresses, driving licence details and passport numbers of some customers were also accessed.
Optus said payment details and account passwords had not been compromised and its phone services remained safe to operate.
The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OIAC) warns that only a small amount of information is needed to compromise a person’s identity.
“Your identity can be stolen if a thief accesses your personal information, including from any document that contains information about you,” the OAIC website says. “Even if a thief only accesses a small amount of your personal information, they may be able to steal your identity if they can find out more about you from public sources. This includes social media accounts which may include your date of birth, photos and information about your family. (for the full story https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/sep/22/optus-data-breach-who-is-affected-what-has-been-taken-and-what-should-you-do)
“Identity fraud can result in someone using another individual’s identity to open a bank account, get a credit card, apply for a passport or conduct illegal activity.”
AR SOAR: Business Services in association with our official partners AR LAW SERVICES: Master Migration & Regulatory Lawyers are experts in data privacy litigation and protection.
Self sovereignty is becoming an increasingly important issue in these tumultuous times of transition to the digital episteme. And with blockchain technology and encryption these acts of negligence by multinationals should not be allowed to happen, but while they continue the multination’s must be held to account.
Optus will focus on the hackers as the malicious actors – but the truly malicious actor here is Optus.
By harvesting your data they, Optus, created an huge “honeypot”, that is a centralized repository of easily accessible information – now I do not believe Optus or any company is entitle to collect so much information – but put that to one side – surely once a multinational has extorted that information from its clients for a commercial advantage, that company has a contractual and fiduciary duty to protect that data. AND if they do not protect that data they are in breach and must compensate the injured party – their clients.
So do not be distracted by the “crocodile tears” of the Optus spin doctors, it is not about the Hack, it is about the original harvesting, collecting and centralization of clients personal information by Optus that we need to scrutinize
If you have any questions about your data privacy or you feel cheated make an appointment and talk to us!
Together through blockchain we can build a better and fairer future!
Thanks for your interest and remember this article is made for educational purposes. This does not constitute financial advice nor trading advice. Past performance does not indicate future results.
We are not a tax agent and this is not to be relied upon as legal, financial or tax advice
This article is to be understood as information only. It should not be considered financial advice. For financial advice seek professional assistance. The information on this website is for general information only.
It should not be taken as constituting professional advice from the website owner – AR SOAR. Services Pty Ltd
AR SOAR: Services Pty Ltd is not a financial adviser. You should consider seeking independent legal, financial, taxation or other advice to check how the website information relates to your unique circumstances. Do not invest more than you can afford to lose. This is not financial advice; always do you own research
AR SOAR: Student Services Pty Ltd is not liable for any loss caused, whether due to negligence or otherwise arising from the use of, or reliance on, the information provided directly or indirectly, by use of this website.
