Australia Takes Down Hacker Leak Site Linked to Medibank Breach

The leak site operated by hackers who breached the Australian insurance company Medibank was taken offline on November 22, following the Australian government’s declaration of a crackdown on cybercriminals.

Government Launches Offensive Against Cybercrime

The Australian government announced the start of an offensive operation against cybercriminals after recent high-profile attacks on Medibank and the telecommunications company Optus. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) and the Australian Signals Directorate will lead a “Joint Standing Operation” to investigate, identify, and disrupt cybercriminal activities targeting Australia.

Hackers Identified and Linked to Russia

Commissioner Reece Kershaw stated that police have identified the hackers, describing them as a “group loosely affiliated with cybercriminals.” According to authorities, the hackers are located in Russia. Kershaw added that the police will “engage with Russian law enforcement regarding these individuals,” although the Russian constitution prohibits the extradition of its citizens.

Monitoring for Data Sales and Extortion Attempts

The AFP will “actively monitor the public internet and the dark web to detect the sale and distribution of Medibank data,” urging individual victims to report any extortion attempts to authorities.