Updated statement from Vodafone on Sydney Morning Herald story
Vodafone Hutchison Australia (VHA) takes the privacy and security of customer data very seriously. We have strict processes and policies in place to protect customer privacy, and a specialist team which oversees all privacy and security matters across the business.
We are aware there are individuals who do attempt to illegally access data through various channels from companies and organisations which hold customer information. We have invested millions of dollars over recent years in security systems and processes, and have a number of safeguards in place to prevent unlawful access of customer information. In our offshore call centres, these include paperless offices, a no mobile phone policy, no access to third party websites, email monitoring, role based systems access, continuous agent training and disciplinary process. Unfortunately, this is not just an issue confronting telecommunications companies, information security is a major concern globally when dealing with large amounts of data.
If a privacy breach is identified, it is immediately investigated internally and, if criminal, reported to the relevant law enforcement authority. Any employee who breaches VHA privacy and security policies can face dismissal.
We would urge anyone who may have information about potential privacy breaches to report it to us for investigation and possible referral to authorities.