Australians fear for privacy as hackers steal personal data

Millions of people have had data stolen in a spate of cyberattacks targeting firms such as telco Optus and health insurer Medibank. — AFP

MELBOURNE: When Emma, a lawyer, found out that details of her mental health problems had been breached in a massive cyberattack on Australia’s largest private health insurer, she feared her career could be jeopardised.

Emma was among nearly 10 million Australians affected by the Medibank hack, one of a series of high-profile cyberattacks that have accelerated government efforts to overhaul privacy laws and force companies to do more to protect their customers' data.