Hacker attack gives access to Upper Austria labour chamber members’ data

The Upper Austria Chamber of Labour was hit by a large-scale hacker attack on Monday, and the attackers gained access to members’ data, ORF reported. The organisation’s systems were completely blocked.

After almost a week of investigations, the chamber determined that the attackers had also accessed member information. It is not yet clear how many members were affected.

“Because the attackers deliberately erased traces, it is currently impossible to determine this,” chamber director Andrea Heimberger said.

The chamber has warned members to be cautious about suspicious messages claiming to come from the organisation. This applies to messages sent by SMS, WhatsApp or email. The chamber said it is not currently running competitions or promising payments.

Members who are unsure have been advised to contact the Upper Austria Chamber of Labour directly. A hotline has also been set up.

It remains unclear when the chamber will return to normal operations, Heimberger said.