Elsewhere in news...

Bulk job cuts at Telstra

Last Wednesday Telstra revealed its new Telstra 2022 strategy. Promising to “improve customer experience, simplify structure and cut costs,” the restructuring will result in a net reduction of 8,000 jobs. Middle management is expected to be most impacted, as the company looks to remove “2-4 layers of management.” One in four executive and middle management roles will disappear. “In the future our workforce will be a smaller, knowledge-based one with a structure and way of working that is agile enough to deal with rapid change,” said Telstra CEO Andy Penn. “This means that some roles will no longer be required, some will change and there will also be new ones created.”

e-Conveyancing hack

Fairfax Media reported last week on a Melbourne family being left homeless after falling victim to a cyber attack while using a major e-conveyancing platform. After selling their previous property earlier this month, the family’s conveyancer attempted to transfer the funds into their bank account, only to realise that the money had been stolen. It is believed the hacker logged into the conveyancer’s PEXA account using the ‘forgot password’ prompts and intercepted the email to create a new password. The hacker then transferred $250,000 into their bank account. PEXA has claimed it is not liable for the breach as the attack was through the user’s account. The family have since recovered half of the money, while the rest remains an insurance issue.

HealthEngine sharing client information

Australia’s largest medical appointment booking app, HealthEngine, has come under fire for sharing users' sensitive medical information with law firms. Users are asked to detail symptoms when making a booking, including if they had suffered a workplace or personal injury. This data is then shared with prospective law firms in search of clients. ABC News recently uncovered documentation from major law firm Slater and Gordon that reveals HealthEngine was sharing daily lists with the details of potential clients as part of a “referral partnership pilot”. Between March and August last year the law firm acquired 40 clients from the partnership.

Huawei sponsoring political travel

Just a week after warning Federal parliament not to leave it out of Australia’s upcoming 5G plans, it has been revealed that Huawei is the largest corporate sponsor of overseas travel for Australian politicians. The report, Who funds Federal Parliamentarians' overseas travel?, released by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) shows Huawei has sponsored a total of 12 trips to China between 2010 and 2018. The trips included flights, accommodation and meals. Current Minister for Foreign Affairs, Julie Bishop, was amongst the visiting politicians, travelling to Shenzhen in 2012 as Deputy Opposition Leader. Huawei has attracted criticism in recent times over its close ties with Chinese government and potential security concerns.