HWLE Cyber Incident

HWL Ebsworth (HWLE), who are one of Rabobank Australia's legal advisors, have informed Rabobank that HWLE systems were targeted in a cyber-attack resulting in the unauthorised access to some Rabobank client information. Some of this information was accessed, exfiltrated and has since been published on the dark web.

You can read more information about the data breach and the remediation actions taken by HWLE to contain the incident on HWLE's website here.

Your data was shared with HWLE as part of our legal review of certain services/activities you have with us. Further, some Rabobank employee and customer data was shared with HWLE as part of our mandatory response to a subpoena served on us. Rabobank is not involved in the litigation relating to the subpoena. If you would like further information on why your personal information was shared with HWLE, you can contact Rabobank at 1800 445 445.

The types of information accessed include personal information about our clients and employees. This may be information that you have shared with us as part of your relationship with us, or that we collected as part of providing services to you.

Rabobank has commenced contacting relevant affected individuals (including those individuals whose information have been published). If you would like further information on whether your personal information has been published, you can contact Rabobank at 1800 445 445.

To safeguard impacted individuals' personal information and protect them from any potential identity theft or fraud, we have implemented a range of measures including:

1. our dedicated security team remain vigilant to identify and respond to any potential threats;
2. incident response activities to address the data breach; and
3. notification to the relevant regulatory authorities and cooperation to implement all necessary actions.

Rabobank is committed to helping affected individuals and will work with any affected individuals one-on-one to address their specific concerns and issues.

HWLE has partnered with IDCARE specifically for the purpose of providing impacted individuals with tailored and specific advice, beyond the general advice that is ordinarily available to members of the public.

IDCARE have expert Case Managers who can work with impacted individuals in addressing concerns in relation to personal information risks and any instances where information may have been misused. IDCARE's services are at no cost to affected individuals.

If you wish to speak with one of IDCARE's expert Case Managers please complete an online Get Help form at www.idcare.org or call 1800 595160. Note IDCARE specialist Case Managers are available from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm AEDT Monday to Friday excluding public holidays. When engaging IDCARE, please use the referral code HWLEBS23.

Rabobank has robust security systems in place and we continue to focus on maintaining client data and information integrity and privacy. We will continue to protect your personal data and process it in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

Yes. The data breach occurred on HWLE's systems. Rabobank's own systems have not been affected. We are confident that our clients' information and privacy remain secure on our systems.

We encourage you to remain alert regarding the security of your private information and data and encourage you to:

1. regularly monitor financial accounts and transaction history for any unauthorised activity and report any suspicious transactions to us and your other financial institutions immediately. Some online services allow you to see which devices have recently logged into your account. Check this for any unfamiliar or suspicious devices;
2. be aware of scammers who might try to take advantage of you when a data breach occurs. They may pose as an organisation and attempt to communicate with you through email, text, or phone. For example, you may receive an email asking you to reset your password because it was compromised. Do not use the links or contact details provided in any messages or emails. Visit Rabobank's official website directly and log in to your account to change your account details, or call our phone number for assistance;
3. regularly update passwords using a strong, unique combinations of letters, numbers, and special characters;
4. activate Two-Factor authentication wherever possible to add an extra layer of security to your accounts;
5. remain vigilant to phishing attempts especially those requesting personal information;
6. if you detect any purchases you didn't make, report these immediately to your financial institution;
7. some online services allow you to see which devices have recently logged into your account. Check this for any unfamiliar or suspicious devices;
8. make a report to ReportCyber at cyber.gov.au if you believe your information has been misused as a result of the data breach; and
9. request a copy of your credit report to check if someone has used your identity to apply for credit without your knowledge. You can also ask a credit reporting body to place a ban on your credit report. This will prevent credit providers from being able to access your credit report as part of a credit check. For further information, see the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner's guidance on credit reports here.

For general information about how you can you protect your data and privacy:

• visit the National Anti-Scam Centre's Scamwatch website at https://www.scamwatch.gov.au;
• read the Australian Cyber Security Centre's resources for personal cyber security: https://www.cyber.gov.au/acsc/view-all-content/advice/personal-security-guides; and
• visit the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner's website, which contains guidance for data breaches at https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/your-privacy-rights/data-breaches/data-breach-support-and-resources and protecting against identity fraud at https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/your-privacy-rights/data-breaches/Identity-fraud.

Rabobank has commenced contacting relevant affected individuals. If you have not been notified by us and would like further information on whether your personal information has been impacted, you can contact Rabobank at 1800 445 445.

1. Rabobank
   You can be assured we are here to support you throughout this process. If you have further questions or require additional assistance you can contact Rabobank at 1800 445 445.
   We will also maintain these FAQs and update them as necessary.
   
   
2. HWLE
   HWLE has also established an email helpline so that impacted individuals can contact them directly with any queries about the incident and the impact to personal information. They can be contacted at hwlecyberhelp@hwle.com.au