The dangers of reusing passwords have been highlighted in a recent hack of mySA GOV accounts, with Service SA warning that some customers’ personal information may have been compromised.
In a statement, the Department for Infrastructure and Transport (DIT) said it contacted customers whose mySA GOV accounts were impacted and had taken immediate steps to secure any affected accounts.
The Department said it became aware that the accounts of some customers had been accessed by a third party who used passwords obtained in the hacking of a separate, unrelated website.
“The accounts could be accessed because account holders had used the same or a similar password for their mySA GOV account as they had used for their account with the unrelated website,” the Department said.
It said that while there was no evidence of any unauthorised transactions on any mySA GOV accounts, the Department had quickly taken steps to mitigate the risk.
It said it checked to ensure the current password of affected accounts was blocked; that all affected customers had been notified of the potential unauthorised access to their account; and encouraging all affected customers to change their driver’s licence number by attending a Service SA Centre.
The Department strongly recommended that when choosing a new password for their account, customers do not use a password that had been previously used or was currently being used for any other accounts.
In a statement, Service SA said while there was no evidence of any unauthorised transactions, it was possible that details contained within a customer’s mySA GOV account could have been compromised, including identity information and details of any vehicles linked to the account.
Service SA said affected customers could contact IDCARE, which provided support services to those affected by data breaches.
The IDCARE website can be accessed at this PS News link.
