New warning after Ticketek customers' personal data 'stolen' in cybersecurity incident

After Ticketek reported a “cyber incident” that potentially exposed customer data, Australians are being urged to be cautious when using the internet.

The ticketing company said in a statement that the data affected was that of Ticketek Australia account holders, which is stored by a global third-party provider on a cloud-based platform.

“Since our third-party provider brought this to our attention, we have been working diligently over the past few days to dedicate all resources to the investigation so that we can communicate with you as quickly as possible,” Ticketek said in an email to some of its customers.

“The evidence currently available suggests that from a privacy perspective, customer names, dates of birth and email addresses could be affected,” the company said.

Home Affairs and Cyber Security Minister Clare O’Neil said on social media platform X that the National Office of Cyber Security had been informed by Ticketek Australia that “their customers’ data had been stolen”.

“I would ask Australians to be especially vigilant and on guard against scams at a time like this,” O’Neil wrote.

“In the event of a breach like this, Australians need to be on guard against scams, including phishing emails.

“Data breaches are becoming more common – in Australia and around the world. This means we all need to be more careful when using the internet.”

The National Cyber Security Coordinator said the Australian Signals Directorate and the Australian Federal Police were also aware of the incident.

Responding to the breach and the increase in cyberattacks, Coalition leader Dan Tehan said the government must evolve its privacy laws to keep Australians safe.

“We need the government to work with these companies to help and support them. But these companies also owe it to the Australian people to do everything in their power to keep their data safe,” he said.

A hand holding a phone displaying a virtual queue for Taylor Swift tickets.

Ticketek is one of Australia’s largest ticketing agents. The company handled ticket sales for Taylor Swift’s recent Australian tour. Source: AAP / Rounak Amini

When asked whether companies should expect higher fines in the event of a data protection breach, Tehan agreed.

“If it is necessary for us to think about tougher penalties to make (the companies) take their responsibilities seriously, then we should consider that,” he said.

“The problem is that it is innocent Australians who ultimately pay the price when their data is not protected.”

Under 2023 laws passed in response to a wave of high-profile data attacks such as those affecting Medibank and Optus, companies face fines of up to $50 million for serious, repeated violations.

Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security reportedly announced that it was working with Ticketmaster, a rival ticketing company, regarding an apparent cybersecurity incident.

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