Australian airline Qantas said Sunday that data from 5.7 million customers stolen in a major cyberattack this year had been shared online, part of a leak affecting dozens of firms.

 

Disney, Google, IKEA, Toyota, McDonald’s, and fellow airlines Air France and KLM are also reported to have had data stolen in a cyberattack targeting software firm Salesforce, with the information now being held to ransom.

 

Salesforce said this month it was “aware of recent extortion attempts by threat actors”.

 

Qantas confirmed in July that hackers had targeted one of its customer contact centres, breaching a computer system used by a third party now known to have been Salesforce.

They secured access to sensitive information such as customer names, email addresses, phone numbers and birthdays, the blue-chip Australian company said.

 

No further breaches have taken place since, and the company is cooperating with Australian security services.

 

“Qantas is one of a number of companies globally that have had data released by cyber criminals following the airline’s cyber incident in early July, where customer data was stolen via a third-party platform,” the company said in a statement.

 

Most of the data leaked was names, email addresses and frequent flyer details, the firm said.

 

But some of the data included customers’ “business or home address, date of birth, phone number, gender and meal preferences”.

 

“No credit card details, personal financial information or passport details were impacted,” Qantas said.

 

It also said it had obtained a legal injunction with the Supreme Court of New South Wales, where the firm is headquartered, to prevent the stolen data from being “accessed, viewed, released, used, transmitted or published”.

 

Cybersecurity expert Troy Hunt told AFP that it would do little to prevent the spread of the data.

 

“It’s frankly ridiculous,” he said.

 

“It obviously doesn’t stop criminals at all anywhere, and it also really doesn’t have any effect on people outside of Australia.”

In response to questions about the leak, tech giant Google pointed AFP to an August statement in which it said one of its corporate Salesforce servers had been targeted. It did not confirm if the data had been leaked.

 

“Google responded to the activity, performed an impact analysis and has completed email notifications to the potentially affected businesses,” Melanie Lombardi, head of Google Cloud Security Communications, said.

 

Cybersecurity analysts have linked the hack to individuals with ties to an alliance of cybercriminals called Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters.

 

Research group Unit 42 said in a note that the group had “asserted responsibility for laying siege to customer Salesforce tenants as part of a coordinated effort to steal data and hold it for ransom”.

 

The hackers had reportedly set an October 10 deadline for ransom payment.

 

The hackers stole the sensitive data using a social engineering technique, referring to a tactic of manipulating victims by pretending to be a company representative or other trusted person, experts said.

 

The FBI last month issued a warning about such attacks targeting Salesforce.

 

The agency said hackers posing as IT workers had tricked customer support employees into granting them access to sensitive data.

 

“They have been very effective,” expert Hunt said.

 

“And it hasn’t been using any sophisticated technical exploits… they have exploited really the oldest tricks in the books.”

 

The hack of data from Australia’s biggest airline comes as a string of major cyberattacks in the country has raised concerns about the protection of personal data.

 

Qantas apologised last year after a glitch with its mobile app exposed some passengers’ names and travel details.

 

And major ports handling 40 per cent of Australia’s freight trade ground to a halt in 2023 after hackers infiltrated computers belonging to operator DP World.

 

AFP

 

 

Chartered engineer and founder of Tite Knox Pty Limited, Olaoluwa Dawodu, has said that the commencement of commercial operations at the Ekiti Agro-Allied International Cargo Airport will enhance commerce, tourism, and job creation across the state.

 

Dawodu, reacting to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority’s approval for the start of commercial flights, said the development had “set the state’s economic landscape for transformation.”

 

The Australia-based engineer, in a statement made available in Ado Ekiti on Saturday, described the approval as “a laudable development that will open up the state to various economic growth elements.”

 

He said, “Inter-state and eventual international access to the numerous economic potentials of a state can only be optimally explored via safe air access. The approval will not only boost commerce and tourism but also stimulate job creation, enhance connectivity, and position Ekiti among Nigerian states with viable air transport infrastructure.”

Dawodu noted that, like other airports in developed nations, the Ekiti facility would contribute significantly to the state’s gross domestic product, create employment opportunities, and attract trade and tourism.

“The Ekiti Agro-Allied International Cargo Airport has the potential to become a critical economic gateway for the state, serving as a catalyst for agricultural exports, investment inflows, and industrial development,” he added.

 

He commended Governor Biodun Oyebanji and his administration for their vision and commitment to sustainable infrastructure development and urged Ekiti indigenes both at home and abroad “to heed the call, return home, add value, and support the governor on everything that will help Ekiti to progress as the state ushers in a new era of air connectivity and economic expansion.”

 

The NCAA, in a letter to Governor Oyebanji dated October 3, 2025, approved the airport to commence commercial operations from October 4, 2025, for an initial period of six months.

 

The letter stated that a validation inspection conducted between June 16 and 19, 2025, revealed that the airport had “significantly complied with the basic operational requirements for scheduled flight operations,” while the Nigeria Airspace Management Agency’s flight check validation report showed “satisfactory compliance with regulatory requirements.”

 

 

The Chairman, Board, management and entire staff of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria have commended President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima for their recent directive to reduce the cost of the 2026 Hajj, describing the gesture as a thoughtful and timely move that brings great relief to intending pilgrims across the country.

 

The commendation is contained in a statement by the Deputy Director, Information and Publication, NAHCON, Fatima Sanda Usara, a copy of which was made available to The Punch on Tuesday.

 

“The Commission regards this as a thoughtful and timely move that brings great relief to intending pilgrims across the country.

 

“The President’s instruction to review Hajj fares downward shows a government that listens and responds to the people’s concerns. It also reflects genuine empathy for the financial strain faced by many Muslims who dream of performing the sacred pilgrimage,” the statement said.

NAHCON equally hails the government’s call on pilgrims and State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Boards to take advantage of the current appreciation of the Naira by making early remittances. Acting promptly, as mentioned by the Deputy Chief of Staff, Alhaji Ibrahim Hadeja, after the meeting at the Villa, would help Nigeria lock in the benefits of the stronger currency.

 

The directive and recommendation for early remittances show a deep understanding of both NAHCON’s operational challenges and the economic realities of our pilgrims. It is another clear example of a responsive and people-focused administration that steps in with practical solutions, especially to the Commission.

According to the statement, this directive reinforces President Tinubu’s steady support for improving Hajj management in Nigeria through interventions that make the exercise more affordable, transparent, and well-coordinated.

 

It said, “NAHCON will work closely with all stakeholders to ensure the full implementation of the directive and to deliver a smooth and rewarding 2026 Hajj for Nigerian pilgrims.

 

The commission, therefore, called on intending pilgrims to hasten and make payment in sequence to the disclosure of the new fare, which will be announced soon.

 

“This will enable their boards to make early remittances that will enable the Central Bank of Nigeria to use the favourable exchange rate for the Hajj services,” the statement added.

 

Recall that the Federal Government had on Monday directed the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria to immediately reduce the cost of the 2026 Hajj fares it had recently announced.

 

The commission had announced over N8.2 million as the final fares for the 2026 Hajj.