Australia's Defense Department fears personnel data stolen in cyberattack

ANKARA (AA) – Australian Department of Defense fears the personal data of personnel may have been compromised after a communications platform used by the military was hacked, local media reported on Monday.

Hackers have recently targeted the ForceNet service, which is run by an external information and communications technology (ICT) provider, with the company initially telling the Defense Department no data of current or former personnel appeared to have been compromised, ABC News reported.

However, the Defense Department believed that some private details of personnel data like date of birth or date of enlisting may have been stolen.

Minister for Defense Personnel Matt Keogh said the company held up to 40,000 records.

“I think all Australians, and rightly the Australian government, is quite concerned about this sort of cyber activity that's occurring, people seeking through nefarious means to get access to others' personal data,” the broadcaster quoted Keogh as saying.

Recently, Medibank, one of the country's largest private health insurance providers, also confirmed a cyberattack and hackers’ access to its four million data.

Last month, the Australian telecommunications giant Optus also revealed that its customers' data had been stolen in a cyberattack.

* Writing by Islamuddin Sajid