Optus CEO Kelly Bayer Rosmarin briefed the Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil on September 24, two days before O’Neil attacked the telco on ABC’s 7.30 program.
O’Neil was interviewed on the ABC’s 7.30 program on September 26, where she derided the “basic attack”, saying Optus “left the window open for data of this nature to be stolen.”
The next morning, Bayer Rosmarin claimed the minister was not briefed on the facts at the time of the interview.
“That interview was before her briefing with us,” she told The Australian Financial Review on September 27.
“I think she was talking more generally and, of course, she wants to make sure in the event that Optus has done something that we shouldn’t have, we are held accountable.”
Home Affairs secretary Mike Pezzullo contradicted this in Senate Estimates late last month, where he said that Optus briefed O’Neil days before her ABC interview.
Optus is now splitting the difference between Pezzullo and Bayer Rosmarin’s differing accounts, saying it actually had two meetings with O’Neil – the first on September 24 to discuss the immediate response to the hacks, and a second on September 26, to discuss the nature of the hacks.
“I’ve got a clear recollection that she [Ms Bayer Rosmarin] was on the line,” Pezzullo said, regarding the first call.
“There were officers of her management team speaking in terms that I would consider to be providing factual updates to the minister.
“They were speaking in terms that I would consider to be an oral briefing.”
When asked about the contradicting stories, Pezzullo said: “I have no idea why either the CEO or her management team at Optus would say that.
“I would find it difficult to accept that there was no engagement with the minister by the company before that Monday.
“I’ve been in this game for a long time. They were giving the minister an oral update. I’ve no doubt about that, and I have personal knowledge of that … I was on that call.”
Optus and the Home Affairs Minister continue to talk, as they work on a ‘detailed timeline’.
“There have been many conversations and briefings between Optus and the government on various issues concerning the cyberattack,” an Optus spokeswoman said.
“We particularly appreciate the strong collaboration of Minister O’Neil’s office as we sought to help customers. We won’t make further details of these closed-door briefings available.”
