Origin Energy Confirms Data Breach Affecting Millions of Australian Customers

Origin Energy has confirmed it is investigating a cybersecurity incident where unauthorized access to customer data may have occurred, potentially impacting millions of Australians. The energy provider stated that it does not believe the compromised data includes credit card or bank details.

In a statement to the ASX on Wednesday afternoon, Origin acknowledged the potential impact of the incident on its customers and emphasized that investigations are being conducted with urgency. The company plans to provide further updates as they become available.

Origin Energy serves approximately 4.8 million customer accounts across Australia, providing services such as electricity, natural gas, LPG, and internet to both residential and business clients. If the breach is found to be extensive, it could rank among the most significant cyberattacks experienced in Australia, following similar incidents involving Optus, Medibank, and Qantas.

The investigation was reportedly initiated after The Australian newspaper received an email from an individual claiming to be a hacker. The sender alleged that Origin had ignored repeated attempts to contact them for nearly three weeks regarding unauthorized access to customer data. As evidence, the purported hacker provided a sample of records belonging to 50 customers, which included names, email addresses, phone numbers, physical addresses, billing history, and dates of birth.

The email, sent from a standard Gmail account, indicated that the sender had reached out to Origin's board members, security teams, and customer care departments without receiving a response or initiating negotiations. The sender claimed Origin had shown no interest in resolving the matter before the data was made public.

Origin has since notified the Australian Federal Police (AFP), the Australian Cyber Security Centre, and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner about the incident. The company has also engaged forensic experts to assist in its investigation.

Shares in Origin Energy saw a drop of nearly three percent by 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The company is expected to release an update on Thursday morning.

The suspected hacker claimed to have first attempted contact on July 2, stating that they contacted The Australian because Origin had failed to respond privately. The tone of the email was reportedly polite, with the sender signing off as 'best regards.' No ransom demand has been reported at this time.

Australian companies and individuals have increasingly become targets for cybercriminals. The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner recorded 1,205 data breach incidents in 2025, an eight percent increase from the previous year. Estimates from the Australian Institute of Criminology and the Australian Cyber Security Centre suggest a cybercrime is committed every six minutes in Australia.