Australia's Latitude takes systems offline, Federal Police investigate cyberattack

[March 20, 2023]  (Reuters) - Australian fintech firm Latitude Group Holdings Ltd said on Monday it had taken its platforms offline as the cyberattack detected last week remained active, adding the Federal Police was investigating the incident. 

Latitude, which provides consumer finance services to retailers Harvey Norman and JB Hi-Fi, said the attack appeared "well-organised" and that it would resume services "gradually over the coming days".

Last week, the firm said personal information, mostly drivers' licence copies or licence numbers, of about 330,000 customers and applicants was stolen.

Several Australian firms have reported cyberattacks over the past few months, and experts say this is due to an understaffed cybersecurity industry in the country.

Latitude said the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Cyber Security Centre were looking into the attack.

Latitude shares have not traded since March 15, a day before the company first disclosed the cyberattack.

(Reporting by Harshita Swaminathan and Himanshi Akhand in Bengaluru; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)

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