Impact of Early Warning Network hack on Gladstone users

GLADSTONE residents' financial details would not have been accessed by hackers who cracked the Early Warning Network on Saturday, acting mayor Chris Trevor said

The threat of a major cyber attack in Australia is real and immediate.

GLADSTONE residents' financial details would not have been accessed by hackers who cracked the Early Warning Network on Saturday, acting mayor Chris Trevor said.

The website sends subscribers messages to alert them of looming severe weather for their region.

On Saturday night hackers sent texts, landline messages and emails from EWN's website to some of the website's subscribers, including Gladstone residents.

It said, "EWN has been hacked... your personal data is not safe" and referred subscribers to a dodgy link and email address.

For several years Gladstone Regional Council has subscribed to the website and offered the service for free to Gladstone residents.

He said because of this arrangement, Gladstone residents who subscribed to the website should not be concerned about their details being obtained by hackers.

The Early Warning Network was the target of hackers overnight. . Picture: Gladstone Regional Council

"The Gladstone Regional Council has subscribed to this website, on behalf of our residents, whereas some other communities have individuals who subscribe personally and hand over their credit card details," Cr Trevor said.

"That's not the case for Gladstone residents."

He said since Gladstone residents did not have to enter their credit card details when subscribing to EWN through the council's website, it was unlikely the hackers would have accessed this information.

"They wouldn't have anything other than possibly the subscriber's name, address and telephone number, and they may not even have that," he said.

Cr Trevor said as recently as the November and December bushfires, the Early Warning Network was sharing information with residents.

It was also used in flooding and cyclone events in 2015.

Asked if he was concerned, he said, "We're not remotely concerned".

"(The council) has invested heavily in protecting ourselves against cyber crime," he said.

Early Warning Network acknowledged the hack via a Facebook post on Saturday night.

It said the hack was quickly identified and its system was shut off to limit the number of messages sent out, "Unfortunately, a small proportion of our database received this alert," it said.

On a privacy alert on its website EWN said, "Your personal data with us is not safe".

EWN said it was trying to fix the security issues and told users to email support@ ewn.com.au if they wished to unsubscribe.

EWN and council urge residents to delete the message if they received it.

Police and EWN are working to investigate the cyber attack.