Origin Energy confirms unauthorised access to customer data

Origin Energy, Australia's biggest energy company, has confirmed that hackers accessed private customer data. The breach was announced on Thursday. Origin has more than 4.8 million customers across electricity, gas, and internet services.

The stolen data includes names, addresses, dates of birth, and phone numbers. Partial financial details were also exposed, including the last four digits of some credit card numbers. Origin initially said it did not think financial data was affected, but later confirmed some was.

The company has contacted the Australian Cyber Security Centre and the Federal Police. CEO Frank Calabria apologised and said securing customer systems is now the top priority. Origin has set up a dedicated phone line to help affected customers. The total number of people affected is still being determined.