TPG Telecom probes cyber breach impacting iiNet customer data

Australia’s second-largest internet provider, TPG Telecom, is investigating a cyber incident that exposed sensitive customer information tied to its iiNet brand. The company disclosed on Tuesday that an unauthorized third party accessed iiNet’s order management system using stolen employee credentials.

The breach led to the theft of about 280,000 active email addresses and 20,000 active landline phone numbers. In addition, roughly 10,000 iiNet usernames, home addresses, and phone numbers were compromised, along with a smaller number of passwords and modem setup credentials.

TPG confirmed that the affected order management system, used to create and track broadband and other service orders, does not store banking details or identity documents. The provider emphasized that the breach has not extended to its broader systems.

The unauthorized access was discovered over the weekend, after which TPG blocked the intrusion and engaged external cybersecurity experts to investigate. The company said it is now working to assess the full scope of the incident, notify impacted customers, and strengthen its defenses against future attacks.

The breach is the second major cybersecurity event to hit TPG in recent years. In December 2022, the company disclosed that up to 15,000 corporate customers’ email accounts were compromised in an attack targeting financial and cryptocurrency-related data. That incident, which affected TPG’s iiNet and Westnet Hosted Exchange services, was discovered during a threat-hunting exercise by security firm Mandiant.

TPG Telecom, which acquired iiNet in 2020, provides broadband, mobile, and voice services to millions of Australians. The company said its investigation into the latest breach remains ongoing and that updates will be provided as new information becomes available.