In a statement released on 28th January 2022, Australian Red Cross said they experienced a cyber security breach targeting the International Committee on the Red Cross (ICRC) servers on 20th January 2022. They are now contacting their clients that may have been impacted and reviewing their local systems and services.
The attack was targeted on a large storage provider contracted by the ICRC. It consisted of file details on more than 500,000 people worldwide who had sought services for their loved ones missing or uncontactable overseas due to conflict or disaster or are held in immigration detention. This was part of the Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societiesmovement’s Restoring Family Links Service.
The Red Cross stated that they are not sure if the information present was tampered with or misused, or leaked. The hackers that were inside the database could copy and export the data. The major difficulty faced by the Red Cross in trying to find the extent of the local exposure due to the incident is that its access to the database is cut off.
According to the Red Cross, the database also contained personal details and supplied documentation. This is part of a standard internal process to ensure all the critical information is stored in a single place. The information may include name, contact details, details regarding missing relatives, and information regarding the circumstance of their dentition.
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