Important Notice: Security Incident Impacting Your Information
7 May 2024
Update on recent Data Breach at Jewell Moore
We appreciate that many of our clients may have questions around the recent data breach.
Please know that we are taking this situation extremely seriously and we have been working hard to investigate the how this happened and furthermore put measures in place to ensure that it doesn’t happen again.
What we know –
- We believe that the hacker gained access into Jewell Moore via the email program – Microsoft Outlook;
- Our IT expert has advised that it was probably a phishing email sent directly into Jewell Moore, with a malicious link designed to break into the network, to pull any data that could be linked to bitcoin.
- From the reports run and the IT advice received over the last few days, we believe that Financial Information, Bank Details etc were NOT accessed;
- We believe that the information that was accessed was items such as Client names, mobile contact numbers and email address.
What we have done to date –
- As soon as we were alerted to the breach, out IT expert was contacted who worked to close down the breach immediately;
- The breach was reported to the authorities including the Government as legislated;
- An email and a text were sent out to all clients to advise of the breach;
- Further security has been set up to isolate all other software from Microsoft, secondly to apply the Microsoft security at the highest setting;
- A website dedicated to the breach was set up to keep clients up to date as needed.
We will ensure that we communicate any further information as and when it transpires.
Please do not hesitate to contact Jewell Moore if you have any questions and we will do what is possible to assist.
03 May 2024
Dear Client
We hope this message finds you well. We are reaching out to inform you of an important matter regarding the security of your information.
Recently, our firm experienced an unexpected security incident that has affected certain data within our systems. Regrettably, unauthorized individuals gained access to an employee’s email account, potentially exposing sensitive information exchanged between our team and you, our valued client.
This email access was then used to access a list of client names, email addresses, and mobile numbers. Our IT team and software providers have managed to determine that the list was limited to those details, and other confidential information was not accessed with that list.
We understand that your privacy and security are of utmost importance, and we want to assure you that we are taking immediate action to address this situation. Our team is working diligently to investigate the incident, identify any specific client data accessed, strengthen our security measures, and prevent similar occurrences in the future.
While we are still in the process of assessing the full extent of the breach, we want to provide you with as much information and support as possible. As a precautionary measure, we recommend taking the following steps to safeguard your information:
- Be Vigilant Against Phishing Attempts: Be cautious of any unexpected emails or messages requesting sensitive information or prompting you to click on links or download attachments. Hackers may attempt to exploit the breach by impersonating legitimate entities to gather more information. Verify the authenticity of any requests before responding or taking action.
- Monitor Your Accounts: Please monitor your financial accounts and statements for any unusual activity or unauthorized transactions. If you notice anything suspicious, we encourage you to report it to your financial institution immediately.
- Change Passwords: Consider changing the passwords for your email accounts and any other online accounts associated with our firm. Choose strong, unique passwords and enable two-factor authentication whenever possible.
- Stay Informed: We will continue to keep you informed about any updates or developments regarding the breach and any additional steps you can take to protect yourself. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns.
This breach has been reported to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner in accordance with our duties. You can find more information at www.oaic.gov.au. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience or concern this may cause you. Your trust is incredibly important to us, and we are committed to ensuring the security and privacy of your information.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation as we work through this challenging situation together. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We will keep providing updates on this page as any further information becomes available.
Help line 1300 676 125
Email [email protected]
