Thousands of residents in affluent Sydney suburbs affected by cyberattack

Residents of an affluent suburbs are being warned about a data breach, with passwords, contact information and credit card details affected by a cyberattack.

Libraries in several affluent Sydney suburbs have been hit by a cyberattack, potentially exposing the data of anyone who used library services.

Woollahra Council has been contacting residents in surrounding suburbs with library accounts warning them their data has been exposed, including passwords, contact information and partial credit card details.

Multiple library functions are no longer working after the cyber attack was launched on the external software, affecting services in Double Bay, Paddington and Watsons Bay.

The software is used by the library to manage bookings, issue fines, and grant computer access and printing or scanning.

An email has been sent to library users with general manager of Woollahra Council Craig Swift-McNair saying the information stored in the software is limited to contact details.

Libraries in affluent Sydney suburbs have been hit by a cyberattack.

“The information stored could include your name, email address, mobile number, landline number and postal address,” the email said. “For a small number of customers, the system also stored encrypted passwords used to access the booking system and some also contained partial credit card payment details.”

The attack occurred on December 15, according to the council, who took to Facebook on that day to warn there was no computer access.

A council spokesperson told NCA NewsWire the person behind the attack may have been able to access customer’s personal information.

However, the extent of the potential breach is currently unknown.

“The type of information stored in the software is limited to contact details of customers who have used one or more of the services at one of our Libraries, with the information stored possibly being a name, email address, mobile number, landline number and postal address,” the spokesperson said.

Woollahra Library in Double Bay. Picture: John Appleyard

“For a small number of customers, the system also stored encrypted passwords used to access the booking system and some also contained partial credit card payment details.”

As soon as the Council became aware of the incident, the system was isolated to prevent further unauthorised access.

The Australian Cyber Security Centre and Cyber Security NSW were notified, while the council engaged a specialist cyber forensic firm to investigate the breach.

The spokesperson said the provider of the software has now secured the system.

It is not yet known how many people were affected by the attack.