Australian internet services provider hacked

(Reuters) — Internet services provider TPG Telecom Ltd. became the latest Australian company to fall victim to a high-profile cyberattack, announcing Wednesday that the emails of up to 15,000 of its corporate customers had been accessed.

At least eight other Australian companies have gone public about hacks since October, prompting public outrage and the government to say last week it is developing a new cybersecurity strategy to tackle threats. It is also considering banning the payment of ransom to cybercriminals.

TPG, Australia's No. 2 internet service provider, with 7.2 million accounts, said the primary aim of the hack of the hosted exchange service was to search for customers' cryptocurrency and financial information. Its cybersecurity adviser Mandiant discovered the breach during a forensic historical review.

The company said it had implemented measures to stop the unauthorized access and was contacting all customers on the exchange service affected by the incident.