The absence of multi-factor authentication led to the Medibank hack, regulator alleges
The private Australian health insurer Medibank did not have multi factor authentication protections on its private network when it was successfully hacked, new court filings allege.
The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) alleges a lack of multi factor authentication at Medibank led to the 2022 data hack of nearly 9.7 million current and previous customers.
Documents filed to the Federal Court on Monday by the OAIC allege the massive data breach stemmed from an employee of a Medibank contractor, an IT service desk operator, who saved his login details to a personal web browser installed on his work computer.
When he then signed into his internet browser on his personal computer, the credentials were synced to that device.
Those details were then stolen from his personal computer on or around August 7, 2022, with malware, and the thief was then able to access Medibank’s Microsoft Exchange Server and virtual private network (VPN).
Source: Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)