The Australian Federal Police (AFP) reported Friday that Russian hackers are behind a massive cyberattack on Australia’s largest health insurer, Medibank.
Data stolen — from some 9.7 million customers — from the health insurer began appearing on the web Wednesday after Medibank refused to pay a ransom to the hackers.
Police Constable Reece Kershaw has indicated that the indications they are handling is that those responsible are located in Russia. «Our intelligence points to a loosely affiliated group of cybercriminals who are likely responsible for significant past breaches in countries around the world,» Kershaw said.
The AFP is investigating the incident with its national intelligence agencies, as well as international agencies such as Interpol.
«The AFP and our partners will not give up on bringing those responsible to justice,» said Kershaw, who noted that Australian authorities will be «in discussions with Russian law enforcement about these individuals».
«To the criminals: we know who they are,» he said in a statement, before highlighting Canberra’s successes in bringing foreign criminals into the justice system.
The officer added that this cyber attack «is unacceptable» and «deserves a response commensurate with the malicious and far-reaching consequences this crime is causing.»
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he was «sickened» by the hacking: «We know where they came from, we know who the perpetrators are and we say they must be held to account».
