Qantas disclosed a cybersecurity incident on July 2 potentially affecting 6 million customers. Ryan Fletcher/Getty Images
Australian airline Qantas has disclosed a cyberattack potentially comprising the data of 6 million customers.
Cybercriminals gained access to customers' names, email addresses, phone numbers, birthdates and frequent flyer numbers via a third-party platform used by a company call center, it said. In the wrong hands, this data could lead to phishing attacks orchestrated by bad actors and eventually identity theft or fraud.
Credit card details, personal financial information and passport details are not held in the breached system, according to Qantas.
"We sincerely apologise to our customers and we recognise the uncertainty this will cause." CEO Vanessa Hudson said in a statement. "We are contacting our customers today and our focus is on providing them with the necessary support."
Qantas is Australia's largest airline, with international flights serving Europe, Asia and the US.
Qantas is working with local Australian authorities and specialized cybersecurity experts to investigate the incident that occurred on June 30. You can contact Qantas' dedicated support line on 1800-971-541 or +61 2 8028 0534.
Qantas did not immediately respond to CNET's request for comment.
What if I was affected by this breach?
Qantas is continuing to investigate the full impact of this breach, though it says it expects the amount of data stolen to be "significant."
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