Australia's Origin Energy says cyberattack exposed data of about 900,000 customers

Australian energy company Origin Energy apologized Tuesday after revealing that a cyberattack exposed personal information belonging to about 900,000 current and former customers, SBS News reported.

The company said an initial review found hackers had accessed customer data including names, addresses, dates of birth, phone numbers and account information.

In some cases, the last four digits of customers' credit cards or the last three digits of bank account numbers may also have been exposed.

"To our customers, I am sorry. We don't take for granted the trust customers place in Origin and our safeguarding of their information," Chief Executive Frank Calabria said in a statement.

Origin said it had been assessing a potential cyber threat since early July but identified evidence of a security incident only on July 22, prompting immediate action and customer notifications.

The company, which serves 4.8 million customer accounts across Australia, said it is contacting affected customers directly and has established a dedicated hotline.

It also urged customers to remain alert for scam calls, emails and text messages, warning that cybercriminals may attempt to exploit the breach by impersonating the company.