Latitude data breach
Information for customers impacted by the Latitude Financial Services data breach.
The Victorian Government is fast tracking protections for licence holders impacted by the Latitude data breach.
This is a Latitude Financial data breach. There is no impact to the security of the Victorian licensing registry or systems.
Data obtained from Latitude on Friday 24 March confirmed that some Victorian licence holders had their licence details compromised as a result of the Latitude data breach.
The Victorian Government continues to work with Latitude and the Australian Government's Department of Home Affairs to confirm the full number of Victorians who are impacted by the 27 March Latitude ASX announcement that an additional number of Australians have been impacted.
Work is underway to undertake the critical first step in Victoria's response - the flagging of confirmed impacted records on the Victorian Licensing Registry, putting an additional layer of protection in place.
VicRoads will soon directly contact Victorians impacted by the Latitude breach to confirm their licence details have been flagged in the VicRoads database. Confirmed impacted customers will be issued new licences for free.
The Victorian Government will seek reimbursement of costs from Latitude.
VicRoads will also activate a two-step verification process for essential identity verification checks for affected Latitude customers. They will soon be required to use their licence number and card number to prove their identity for services like opening bank accounts, loan applications, phone contracts and real estate transactions.
A new licence card number is now a feature of all new and replacement Victorian driver licences issued from November 2022. Having both a card number and licence number creates two unique data sources that are used to verify licence information. Using the additional card number to verify is much like using a credit card for online transactions. This provides greater protection for Victorians, and is in line with the approach that we took in response to the Optus data breach.
We take the privacy and security of our customers very seriously and understand any incident involving the unauthorised disclosure of personal information can be stressful.
For further information on the Latitude Financial cyber-attack or how you can protect yourself please visit: www.latitudefinancial.com.au/latitude-cyber-incident or www.idcare.org/data-breach-support.
For more information on licence card numbers see Cards and card numbers.
FAQs
What are you doing to help customers impacted by the Latitude data breach?
How do I know if I will get a reissued licence/learner permit?
I have been informed by Latitude that my data has been released. What do I need to do?
Will I be charged for a licence/learner permit re-issue?
What information of mine may have been compromised as part of this?
I am an Optus Customer who recently received a new card with a new card number. What do I need to do?
Can I also access my card number by contacting VicRoads?
I am not impacted by the Latitude data breach. Can I request a new licence card/learner permit anyway?
Do I still use my licence card/learner permit whilst I wait for my new licence card/ learner permit to be sent?
Do I destroy my old licence once my new one is received?
Can I continue to provide my licence card/learner permit as proof of identity, both in person and online?
Should I set up a myVicRoads account?
Doesn't this risk further breaches?
What should I do to protect myself if I suspect I am a victim of fraudulent activity?
I am applying for a loan (or any application) that requires my driver licence/ learner permit to confirm my identity. Do I need to do anything or can I use my current licence/permit?
Do I need to call all companies who have record of my licence/learner permit number and update my details?
Does the information for my business account need to change?
Does this change impact my registration or my myVicRoads account?
Will all of the information linked to my licence/learner permit card (including any licence/learner permit conditions, demerit points, etc.) carry across to my new card?
Will this impact the Safe Driver Reward I am currently eligible for?
How do I confirm the flag is in place?
When will two-step verification for Latitude customers be introduced?
What if my licence is not current?
What if I was also impacted by the Optus data breach?
What if I have just renewed my licence or am about to renew it soon?
What are you doing to help customers impacted by the Latitude data breach?
We are acting quickly to help protect the identity of Victorians impacted by the Latitude data breach.
We will flag the records of impacted customers impacted by the breach and will automatically send them a new licence/learner permit card which will prominently display a unique licence card number.
We will activate a two-step verification process for essential identity verification checks for these customers to ensure an additional layer of protection.
Impacted customers will soon be able to access their unique card number via the 'my card number feature' on the myVicRoads portal or by visiting a VicRoads Customer Service Centre as a quicker way of accessing their card number.
We will continue to work with Latitude to understand the details of all Victorians who have been impacted by the breach.
How do I know if I will get a reissued licence/learner permit?
Customers who have been confirmed to have had their licence/learner permit information impacted by the Latitude data breach will have a new physical licence/learner permit card with a new unique card number provided for free.
We will continue to work with Latitude to understand the details of all Victorians who have been impacted by the breach.
I have been informed by Latitude that my data has been released. What do I need to do?
There is nothing you need to do.
VicRoads will directly contact customers who have been confirmed to be impacted by the Latitude breach through the usual method of communication such as email and/or address details securely stored in our systems.
VicRoads will also be automatically flagging all records identified through the validated Latitude data to ensure our licensing register has this permanently recorded.
This triggers additional security checks for VicRoads staff who will undertake more checks to confirm a customer's identity.
When a flag has been added to a customer's record, they will receive a notification from VicRoads to say that it has been completed.
We will keep our customers updated on key developments. We thank you for your patience while we focus on this work.
This page will be updated regularly with the latest advice on how we are working to assist our customers.
Will I be charged for a licence/learner permit re-issue?
A new physical licence/learner permit card with the additional unique card number will be provided free for customers impacted by the Latitude data breach. The Victorian Government will seek reimbursement of costs directly from Latitude.
What information of mine may have been compromised as part of this?
Customers who are affected will be notified directly by Latitude of the specific information compromised. Please go to the Latitude website for more information.
I am an Optus Customer who recently received a new card with a new card number. What do I need to do?
We are working to understand if any unique card numbers were part of the Latitude breach.
At this stage there is nothing you need to do, however if this changes we will inform you directly.
Can I also access my card number by contacting VicRoads?
Customers impacted by the Latitude data breach can visit a Customer Service Centre. We will also soon enable secure access to their card number through the myVicRoads portal.
To help protect customer security and identity VicRoads will not provide customers with their card number over the phone.
I am not impacted by the Latitude data breach. Can I request a new licence card/learner permit anyway?
All Victorians can choose to purchase a new redesigned licence card/learner permit and fees will apply. Newly issued licence cards/learner permits will prominently feature both card number and licence/permit number.
Do I still use my licence card/learner permit whilst I wait for my new licence card/ learner permit to be sent?
Yes. Your current licence card/learner permit continues to be valid. You must ensure that your licence card/learner permit status remains current.
Visit the licence card/learner permit conditions and requirements on the VicRoads website to check when you must carry your licence card/learner permit.
Do I destroy my old licence once my new one is received?
Yes. We request you destroy your old licence once your new licence is received by cutting it up into little pieces.
You can also hand your old licence back at a Customer Service Centre for it to be securely destroyed there.
Can I continue to provide my licence card/learner permit as proof of identity, both in person and online?
Yes.
Should I set up a myVicRoads account?
Yes. It is the most efficient and secure way to complete all your priority registration and licensing transactions online, including viewing your licence/permit information, is with a myVicRoads account.
For added security, we've introduced the option of multi factor authentication for all VicRoads customers. This is the industry standard, additional security layer for account holders exchanging transactional information.
Doesn't this risk further breaches?
If you have a myVicRoads account, you'll be able to complete transactions online, as normal as your login details were not part of the Latitude breach.
myVicRoads is a secure portal with multi-factor authentication to protect against any unauthorised activity.
What should I do to protect myself if I suspect I am a victim of fraudulent activity?
Look out for any suspicious or unexpected activity across your online accounts, including your bank accounts.
Make sure to report any fraudulent activity immediately to the related provider.
Look out for contact from scammers who may have your personal information. This may include suspicious emails, texts, phone calls or messages on social media.
Never click on any links that look suspicious and never provide your passwords, or any personal or financial information.
Victims of the attack can refer to the advice of experts including:
I am applying for a loan (or any application) that requires my driver licence/ learner permit to confirm my identity. Do I need to do anything or can I use my current licence/permit?
Your current licence/learner permit continues to be valid, and you should continue to use your licence/learner permit card and number as usual, including as a form of identification.
We recommend you check your credit file to ensure that no unauthorised or mistaken transactions or applications have been made since the data breach took place.
Do I need to call all companies who have record of my licence/learner permit number and update my details?
No. Your licence/learner permit number will not change. In future, you may be asked to quote your card number as well as your licence/permit number when using your licence/permit as a form of ID for some transactions.
Does the information for my business account need to change?
No. There will be no change to your myVicRoads business account. This information was not part of the Latitude data breach.
Does this change impact my registration or my myVicRoads account?
No. There will be no change to your car registration details within our records or your portal logins. This information was not part of the Latitude data breach.
Will all of the information linked to my licence/learner permit card (including any licence/learner permit conditions, demerit points, etc.) carry across to my new card?
Yes it will. You will retain the same licence/learner permit number and driver history. The new protection will be the unique card number to enable two-factor authentication.
Will this impact the Safe Driver Reward I am currently eligible for?
No.
How do I confirm the flag is in place?
VicRoads will automatically flag the account of customers impacted by the Latitude data breach. There is nothing you need to. When a flag has been added to a customer's record, they will receive a notification from VicRoads to say that it has been completed.
When will two-step verification for Latitude customers be introduced?
We are prioritising the flagging of customer accounts and the creation of a new card to ensure additional layers of protection are in place. Once impacted customers have a new card with a new unique card number will active two-step verification for essential identity checks. We will inform customers in advance.
What if my licence is not current?
If Latitude has advised us that you have been impacted by this data breach, and your driver licence/learner permit has expired or is currently cancelled or suspended we have flagged your driver licence/learner permit on the Victorian Licensing Registry as an additional layer of protection.
Flagging your driver licence/learner permit means that if you need to transact through one of our customer channels, we’ll ask you for further authentication requirements to prove we are speaking to the right person.
If you have a myVicRoads account, you’ll be able to complete transactions online as normal as your login details were not part of the Latitude breach.
Once your driver licence/learner permit becomes current again, we’ll contact you with further advice regarding a replacement card.
What if I was also impacted by the Optus data breach?
If Latitude has advised us that you have been impacted by this data breach, and our records show you were also impacted by the Optus breach, you have already received a redesigned driver licence/learner permit highlighting your new unique card number.
Your card number was not part of the Latitude breach so we don’t need to issue you with a new card - you are already protected.
What if I have just renewed my licence or am about to renew it soon?
If you are due to renew your licence soon, you should continue to renew your licence as usual. A redesigned driver licence card/learner permit that features an additional card number to help protect your identity will be automatically issued to you upon renewal. This card number adds an additional layer of protection on your driver licence/learner permit and will be used for future identity verification purposes.
If you have renewed your licence recently (from November 2022 onwards), you have already received a redesigned driver licence/learner permit highlighting your new unique card number. Your card number was not part of the Latitude breach, so we don’t need to issue you with a new card - you are already protected.
If you renewed your licence before November 2022, we’ll contact you with further advice.