Parliament hackers stole ‘small amount’of data

news, federal-politics, Senate President Scott Ryan, australian parliament, china hack, reuters

Foreign hackers stole a "small amount of data" during a cyber attack on the Australian parliament earlier this year, Senate President Scott Ryan has confirmed. Under questioning from Centre Alliance Senator Rex Patrick , Senator Ryan refused to elaborate on reports from Reuters earlier in the week that Australian security agencies had concluded in March China was behind the data breach. The government has since refused to confirm the report. However, Senator Ryan said evidence from the Department of Parliamentary Services supported information from security agencies that a "small amount of data" had been taken. "None of it was deemed sensitive," Senator Ryan said. "Individual parliamentarians will be contacted if there was an impact however I do commit to providing further information on notice that is appropriate for public dissemination." At the time, Senator Ryan said no data breach had been detected. Senator Ryan also said "there has been no recurrence of the intrusion and the parliamentary network remains secure". The government said a "sophisticated" foreign actor had hacked the Australian parliamentary computing network on February 8. All passwords were reset as a precaution and the Australian Signals Directorate was brought in to investigate. Senator Ryan said on Thursday that work to improve the security of the network was ongoing. "This work involves both technical solutions but also educating users of the network to exercise due caution in for example inadvertent exposure of it," he said.

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Foreign hackers stole a "small amount of data" during a cyber attack on the Australian parliament earlier this year, Senate President Scott Ryan has confirmed.

President of the Senate Scott Ryan. Picture: Alex Ellinghausen

The government has since refused to confirm the report.

However, Senator Ryan said evidence from the Department of Parliamentary Services supported information from security agencies that a "small amount of data" had been taken.

"None of it was deemed sensitive," Senator Ryan said.

"Individual parliamentarians will be contacted if there was an impact however I do commit to providing further information on notice that is appropriate for public dissemination."

Senator Ryan also said "there has been no recurrence of the intrusion and the parliamentary network remains secure".

The government said a "sophisticated" foreign actor had hacked the Australian parliamentary computing network on February 8.

All passwords were reset as a precaution and the Australian Signals Directorate was brought in to investigate.

Senator Ryan said on Thursday that work to improve the security of the network was ongoing.

"This work involves both technical solutions but also educating users of the network to exercise due caution in for example inadvertent exposure of it," he said.

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