Very real fears as hackers steal data

MAJOR Queensland companies and institutions have been swept up in an international hacking scandal which has seen the home addresses of Queenslanders end up in the hands of cyber criminals.

A massive data breach occurred at recruitment software company PageUp People late last month.

Hackers were able to access the personal details of Queenslanders because many companies allow PageUp to hold on to their candidate data.

Among those affected are anyone who applied for a job with the University of Queensland and Suncorp.

Coles, Target, Kmart, Officeworks and Myer job applicants have also been caught up in the crime, putting hundreds of thousands of Queenslanders at risk of identity theft.

Concerns remain over other iconic Queensland businesses, including City Beach, which also sources its recruitment software from PageUp.

Experts have warned of the very real risk of identity theft, with some speculating the criminals might be trying to obtain 100 points of ID for as many people as possible.

A cyber criminal was able to find these addresses and other details by using “advanced methods” to hack PageUp, the company said in a statement.

Initially there were fears for just Queensland Government job hopefuls who submitted resumes online in recent years. Both Queensland Rail and WorkCover Queensland acknowledged they were affected.

It is understood the Australian Cyber Security Centre, which works with the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Signals Directorate, will determine in coming days the nature and size of the breach.

There are fears that seized information could be sold or traded on the dark net, allowing criminals to take out credit cards or small loans.