Hackers have targeted a communications platform used by Australian military personnel and defence staff with a ransomware attack, authorities said on Monday, as the country battles a recent spike in cyberattacks across businesses. The ForceNet service, one of the external providers that the defence department contracts to run one of its websites, has come under attack but so far no data have been compromised, Assistant Minister For Defence Matt Thistlethwaite said. “I want to stress that this isn’t an attack or a breach on defence (technology) systems and entities,” Thistlethwaite told ABC Radio. “At this stage, there is no evidence that the data set has been breached, that’s the data that this company holds on behalf of defence”.But some private information such as dates of birth and enlistment details of military personnel may have been stolen, the Australian Broadcasting Corp reported, citing an unidentified source with knowledge of the investigation.
Read more : Ransomware hackers hit Australian defence communications platform.