Bookeasy Breach Hits Parks Booking Systems Across Australia
Camping and parks booking systems in the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia have been hit by a cyberattack on a third-party provider, Bookeasy. Some Canberrans have reported "suspicious messages", and Parks Victoria has linked suspicious WhatsApp messages to the incident.
Bookeasy processes bookings and permits for the National Parks booking system in the ACT and other states. It stores customers' personal details, including email addresses, home addresses and phone numbers.
Was my credit card exposed?
Bookeasy says it believes only personal details have been compromised so far, and no credit card details. The company is still investigating. It has identified potential compromise of customers' personal and booking information.
Which systems are affected?
The ACT government said a second department system, VisitCanberra, which handles accommodation and attraction bookings in the territory, was also compromised. It has temporarily disabled the platform and is urging vigilance. Campers can still book sites directly.
Parks Victoria has switched off its booking system as a precaution. Its parks, campgrounds and tours remain open.
The agency updated its notice at 4:45 pm on Friday, November 13. All existing bookings remain valid, but it cannot make changes or cancellations for now.
What campers can do
Anyone who receives an unexpected WhatsApp or other message about a booking should treat it with suspicion, as both governments have stressed. Because phone numbers and booking details sit in the affected data, such messages may look convincing.
In Victoria, bookings are required at only 131 campsites. Hundreds of other campsites across the state are free and need no booking. They run on a first come, first served basis, from the banks of the Murray River to the Alpine National Park.
Parks Victoria advises travellers to check the latest conditions on its website and to keep the VicEmergency app on their phones.
Bookeasy says it is working with an external third-party expert to confirm that its containment efforts have resolved the problem. Parks Victoria says it is working with the provider to restore its booking system.
