The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has been implicated in a substantial cyber breach targeting the national law firm, HWL Ebsworth, earlier this year. The breach, orchestrated by the notorious Russian hacking group identified as AlphV or BlackCat, resulted in over one terabyte of data being pilfered, including sensitive information from several government departments.
Alex Caruana, President of the Australian Federal Police Association (AFPA), confirmed that the stolen data, containing officers’ identities and email addresses, has been circulated on the dark web. The AFPA is actively assisting impacted members and liaising with the newly appointed National Cyber Security Coordinator and the Australian Cyber Security Centre to mitigate the consequences of the breach and enhance cyber resilience in the country.
As investigations proceed, Caruana urges affected members to reach out to the AFPA for support while reassuring that measures are in place to protect those compromised by this incident.
