The breach of the Optus database has certainly created fodder for all the so called security experts who are now jumping on soap boxes in an effort to seek out publicity for their opinions and services, the only problem is that most of them don’t have a solution for the simple reason that there is no holy grail when it comes to securing a network.

Technology is simple, it consists of two numbers 0 and 1 and with all systems man or women created it and men and women are breaking it, with a battle going on between the good guys and the bad guys as to who holds the upper hand.

What we are now getting are the scams on top of a hack attack, and if there is one thing to come out of this attack that has to be considered is a Federal Government led initiative that allows organisations such as carriers to work hand in hand with both State and Federal Government departments spanning passports, driving licences and any other form of identification that helps protect consumers from fraudulent activities.

Optus are not to blame for what happened, and management responded by telling the media immediately that a problem existed, and they also have to be commended for the open and honest way that they engaged with media organisations.

Communicating with customers is one thing but warning the wider community that a major hack attack has gone down is also critical, as it allows organisations such as banks and Government departments to respond especially if Optus is allowed to open up information exchange programs, that alert departments such as Border Force and banks that a certain persons information being held by Optus may have been compromised.

If legislation is needed to allow this to happen action needs to be taken now.

A telco such as Optus is at the blunt end of the communication chain whether via mobile phone or via their sale of an NBN or fibre connection and this leaves them vulnerable to hackers more so than a lot of other Government organisations.

For me, the big question now is whether it’s time for Federal Government to step up by working with essential service organisations such as carriers and banks, to create a security framework that all essential service organisations must have in place in Australia.
This ring of security could be managed by a separate organisation made up of Federal, State Governments and Private enterprise.

While some do gooders will label this as big brother, the fact is that this type of investment by the Federal Government, will deliver for consumers a new level of protection while providing business who want to protect customer data a means by which information flow between a passport office and a bank and a mobile phone or tablet can be checked.

Currently banks are location checking when their software flags a potential problem

Last week two minutes after I had made a purchase in an Adidas store in Singapore the Commonwealth Bank Security Division called me to check that I was in Singapore.

If a Federal Government Security operation is in place monitoring key essential services, they would be able to track my mobile use which in my case was the activation of my Telstra Sim in Europe and Singapore. The use of a credit card and the fact that I had to activate my passport to get out of the Country.

Instantly if a hack attack on a service linked with the likes of Optus are detected they would be able to respond.

The cost for the service could be passed onto organisations participating in the monitoring of services.

Over the weekend Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil signalled the government was working on a policy response to the hack.

“Australian companies must do all they can to protect their customers’ data. I will have much more to say in coming days about the Optus cyberattack and what steps need to be taken in the future,” O’Neil said.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese describes the Optus cyber attack as a “wake-up call” for the private sector in data security however he has failed to address the problems consumers are having with their MyGov accounts or how the Federal Government could work in a far more productive way with essential service organisations to protect data and consumer information.

The downside is that we could end up with a shambles similar to the Federal Governments myGov, the answer would be the development of a working group consisting of banks carriers and Government as well as advisors to develop the new platform that is controlled by a separate entity other than the Federal Government alone.

Optus says it has now contacted all customers whose ID document numbers, such as licence and passport numbers, were compromised in the attack.

They have also said that that they will pay for for a credit monitoring service for affected customers, amid concerns that criminals could gain unauthorised access to bank customers’ accounts, or open bogus accounts for criminal purposes.

Currently The Federal Gervernment and Optus management are working to trace those responsible, Optus says it will continue to reach out to customers who have had other details, such as their email address, stolen in the hack.

“We understand and apologise for the concern that this has caused for our customers,” a spokeswoman said on Monday.