How to avoid the online safety mistake that tripped up former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott
Posting a photo of a boarding pass before embarking on an epic trip is nothing out of the ordinary — in fact Instagram feeds are full of such #travelinspo.
But news this week revealing just how easy it was to obtain the passport and phone number of a former prime minister from his boarding pass photo is reason for us all to think before we post.
Key points:
- Cyber criminals can access personal data by compiling information from different sources
- eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman-Grant suggests people change their passwords often
- Cyber expert Asha Rao says boarding passes reveal a lot of data and should be torn up after use
Self-described hacker Alex Hope has detailed howhe used a booking reference number on Tony Abbott's social media post to access his Qantas booking account.
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Asha Rao from Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) said it was the only way to keep your travel information and passport details out of criminal hands.
"When I come back from travel and I have my boarding pass, I never chuck it even into the recycling bin," she said.
"I tear it up and put it in the compost because there's just too much information on it.
"If you're going anywhere, why post those details?
"That is dangerous — it is telling people that you're not at home."
How to avoid the online safety mistake that tripped up former Prime Minister Tony Abbott - ABC News