Image: gaelx/Flickr (Creative Commons)
Anonymous has begun dumping several databases from its successful hack on AAPT, with the first six databases made public late in the night on Saturday. The attacks come in response to the Australian Government’s controversial data-retention plan, that will force ISPs and telcos to keep records of users for two years so intelligence agencies can access them.
The six databases pasted on Pastebin seem to include business agreements and their contacts; and despite reports that Anonymous Australia will remove personal information, there are some there – but only contact information. No credit card information, nor passwords (it appears) have been included in this leak.
However, that said, one database does contain passwords – but they appear to be random characters, meaning that they could be hashed, or their clients can remember gibberish passwords.
Also posted was the AAPT list of government accounts. It’s also interesting to note that AAPT’s government clients include the ABC, several state and local governments – such as the New South Wales Government, and several international embassies like Thailand, Singapore and Switzerland.
You can view the leaks here (one, two, three, four, five, six). AAPT says this data is “historic” information, and these were at least a year old.
In a statement on Friday, CEO David Yuile said, “AAPT is extremely concerned about this incident and is treating this matter with the utmost seriousness. AAPT will be contacting any impacted customers as soon as possible.”
Anonymous Australia says that they have 40GB of data from the AAPT leak – so, expect more to come as a press release notes that this is only 3.5GB of the 40GB stolen. Also in their press release, they outline why they attacked AAPT:
Australia ranks highly in many international comparisons of national performance, such as quality of life, health, education, economic freedom, and the protection of civil liberties and political rights. Yet Australia feels the need to censor and filter every day social and personal life?
What are you afraid of?
Who or what are you protecting?We, the people, feel disgusted from this decision based upon power, money, and greed.
We will not sit around as we have big brother watching us from all angles and eyes pointed at everyone.Did you ever think who and what will be affected by your selfish acts?
Anonymous is taking a stand and will fight for the unjust!
The data leak is an embarrassment for not only AAPT (the business side only, the consumer side has been sold off to iiNet), but for Melbourne IT. This is the second data breach just this month – the first occurring when someone defaced several Queensland Government websites.
Both are investigating how this happened – but I think people will be moving to new providers if security has been compromised at this scale.