Cyberattack on Australian telco Optus affects 1.2 million customers

FILE PHOTO: A woman uses her mobile phone as she walks past in front of an Optus shop in Sydney, Australia, February 8, 2018. REUTERS/Daniel Munoz/File Photo

(Reuters) -Australian telecoms giant Optus on Monday said personal information and at least one valid form of identification of about 1.2 million customers was compromised in one of the biggest cyber breaches the country has faced.

The breach last month by an anonymous online account, which affected 10 million customers, equivalent to around 40% of Australia's population, attracted harsh criticism from the government.