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The Australian National Maritime Museum (ANMM) suffered from an internal cyber incident that saw the perpetrator access the institution’s financial records and systems.
A 23-year-old man behind the attack accessed the Sydney museum’s account payable system and replaced the details he found with his own. He also made several purchases using the details he found in the system.
The ANMM detected issues with the financial information provided for contracted companies. After further investigation by independent forensics experts, the anomalies were discovered, and the AFP was notified.
The man was allegedly an IT support worker for a third-party contractor being used by the ANMM. Australian Federal Police (AFP) cyber crimes investigators tied the man to the incident, executing a search warrant for the man’s home in Macquarie Park, where he was arrested and had several of his electronic items seized for further forensic analysis.
“The AFP is committed to preventing and prosecuting cyber crime and fraud committed against Australians and businesses,” said Leading Senior Constable Clare Yammine, who said estimates for the total funds redirected as part of the crime reached $90,000.
“We will allege the motivation for this activity was greed, and it came at the expense of hard-working Australians who are already feeling the impacts of everyday living expenses.
“These men and women were innocently impacted while one individual reaps the rewards.
“The AFP-hosted Joint Policing Cybercrime Coordination Centre helps ensure that we are in the best possibly [sic] position to disrupt cyber criminals and bring them to account for their illegal actions.”
Charges included five counts of dishonestly obtaining property by deception (192E of the Crimes Act 1900 (NSW)), four counts of dishonestly obtaining or dealing in personal financial information (480.4 of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth)), and two counts of unauthorised access and modification with intent to commit a serious computer offence (477.1 of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth).
The man faced Burwood Local Court on Friday, 3 March.
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