Personal information of visa holders leaked as a result of a cyber incident in internal affairs

In a recent notice, the Ministry of Home Affairs informed individuals of a serious cybersecurity breach affecting ZircoDATA, the parent company of The Migration Translators (TMT), which operates the Free Transfer Service (FTS). This service allows visa holders to have important personal documents translated into English. Unfortunately, this incident led to the disclosure of personal information of individuals who previously used the Federal Tax Service.

Incident overview

In February 2024, ZircoDATA identified suspicious activity on its network. Following the discovery, the company brought in cybersecurity experts to investigate the issue, which revealed that an unauthorized third party had accessed their files and extracted data. This data was then published on the dark web in March 2024. ZircoDATA initially believed that customers using FTS were not affected. However, upon further investigation, it turned out that documents associated with the Ministry of Internal Affairs containing personal data were indeed compromised.

ZircoDATA notified the department in July 2024, after which immediate steps were taken to inform affected individuals. While the hack did not affect the Home Office’s own systems, ZircoDATA accepted the department’s assistance in notifying affected individuals.

Types of Compromised Information

The breach potentially affected various types of personal information, including:

Full name
Date of birth
Contact details (mobile phone number and email address)
Visa details (application number, visa issue number, delivery date and subclass number)
Driver’s license information
Passport details

If you have used FTS and suspect that your information has been compromised, you may contact ZircoDATA at: (email protected) for more details.

Actions taken by ZircoDATA

Following the hack, ZircoDATA moved quickly to contain the threat and investigate the scope of the incident. They have since reported the matter to the relevant authorities, including the Australian Cyber Security Centre, the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner and law enforcement agencies.

What can victims do?

To mitigate potential harm, the Home Office has provided a number of recommendations:

Be careful of scams: Be alert to potential phishing attacks and avoid clicking on suspicious links or providing personal information.
Increase your online security: Enable multi-factor authentication and update passwords.
Install security software: Make sure your devices are protected with updated antivirus software.
Monitor financial records: Consider getting a free annual credit report or applying to have your credit report suppressed.
Passport and driver’s license information: Seek advice from appropriate government authorities to protect your identity.

Further support

ZircoDATA is committed to reviewing any requests for credit monitoring services or reimbursement for replacement of compromised identification documents on a case-by-case basis. Affected individuals are advised to contact ZircoDATA directly at: (email protected) for your help.

Conclusion

Both the Ministry of Internal Affairs and ZircoDATA expressed regret over the incident and any inconvenience caused. If you have further questions regarding hacking, ZircoDATA is ready to help you with any problems.

This incident highlights the growing importance of strong cybersecurity measures and the need for people to remain vigilant about the security of their personal information online.