Australia’s national cyber security coordinator, Air Marshal Darren Goldie, has revealed that “a number” of Australian federal entities had their sensitive personal and government information “released” as part of a cyber attack on law firm HWL Ebsworth in May. Goldie, who recently assumed the coordinator role, stated that his immediate priority was to address the aftermath of the HWL Ebsworth breach.
The cyber incident has impacted several Australian government entities, leading to the release of sensitive information. Goldie emphasized his active engagement with HWL Ebsworth to fully understand the extent of the incident, including the impact on the law firm’s private industry clients, as data analysis efforts continue.
Affected entities have begun notifying individuals about the consequences of the data breach on their information. The Home Affairs’ legal services working group is conducting regular meetings with HWL Ebsworth to address the implications of the cyber incident for government entities. Additionally, the government is providing assistance to the law firm in resolving issues affecting its broader client base.
The Tasmanian government is among those entities exposed to the incident. Banks, including ANZ and NAB, were also clients of the law firm, and they have expressed efforts to assess their own exposure.
The ALPVH/BlackCat group has claimed responsibility for the cyber attack.