Australia's Latitude slumps on more evidence of large-scale information theft (updated)

Harvey Norman Holdings

22/03/2023 24:33

(Adds details on cyberattack, shares and background)
       March 22 (Reuters) - Fintech firm Latitude Group
Holdings  LFS.AX  said on Wednesday it has found further
evidence of large-scale information theft affecting former and
current customers across Australia and New Zealand, sending its
shares sharply lower.
    The Australian digital payments and lending firm said it was
attempting to identify the number of customers affected and the
type of personal information stolen by the hacker. 
    "Our focus remains firmly on containing this attack,
progressing our forensic review of the actions taken by the
attacker and restoring operational capability gradually over the
coming days," the company said in a statement.
    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.
    Shares of Latitude, which provides consumer finance services
to the country's major retailers Harvey Norman  HVN.AX  and JB
Hi-Fi  JBH.AX , dived 13.7% on trading resumption. The company's
stock last traded on March 15.
    Last week, Latitude said personal information of around
328,000 customers, including copies of drivers' licences, was
stolen. It took its platforms offline on Monday and said that
the Federal Police was investigating the attack.          

    

 (Reporting by Upasana Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Sherry
Jacob-Phillips)
 ((Upasana.Singh@thomsonreuters.com;))