Drivers licenses with extra safety measures to be issued in Victoria after Optus knowledge breach

Additional security measures will feature on the roughly one million new licenses which will be issued to Victorians following the Optus data breach.

VicRoads said victims would be issued new cards with an additional security number on the back, which will operate in a similar way security codes are used on credit and debit cards.

More than 942,000 victorian License holders had their details compromised in the Optus data breach, a Department of Transport spokesperson said.About one million new licenses will be issued to Victorians who had their privacy breached as part of October’s Optus hack. (nine)

“The Victorian government is fast-tracking protections for license holders in response to the Optus data breach through the introduction of two-step verification and the free replacement of nearly one million licenses,” the spokesperson said.

“The Optus data breach is the biggest in Australia’s history and Victorian license holders have been impacted more than any other state.”

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About 342,000 Victorians flagged as directly affected by the breach will receive their new cards by the end of the year.

This group will also have their license flagged on the Victorian Licensing Registry and also move to the new two-step verification approach to protect their identity.

The new process will require both the new card number and also the original license number for identity confirmation to prove their identity for services such as opening bank accounts, loan applications, phone contracts and real estate transactions.

The second card number would eventually become a feature of all new and replacement Victorian driver’s licences.

More than 942,000 Victorian license holders had their details compromised in the Optus data breach. (nine)

The spokesperson said in the coming weeks, the redesigned licenses will begin to be reissued to affected people for free.

These individuals will receive their new license cards before the end of the year.

“The Victorian Government will continue to seek reimbursement of costs from Optus for the replacement of the nearly one million licenses of Victorians impacted by the largest data breach in Australian history,” the spokesperson said.