This year was supposed to signal the start of a new golden age for Ash Barty, as she began married life with husband, Garry Kissick, and pursued new passions after leaving behind her high-pressure tennis career.
But her carefree days have come to an abrupt end, with the sporting great left rocked by one of Australia’s biggest scandals.
Insiders say Ash, 26, was left in “total disbelief” as Optus, the organisation in which she serves as Chief Inspiration Officer, was targeted in a cyber attack late last month.
The telco giant was forced to announce that the hack had left 10 million of their customers exposed to identity theft and financial fraud. Customers’ names, addresses and telephone numbers, along with the details from their passports, Medicare cards and driver’s licences, were among the personal information that was stolen.
The hackers asked for a $1 million ransom before they uploaded the details of 10,000 people onto the dark web.
Given Ash’s prominent role within Optus, sources say it’s “highly likely” that she uses their services and could have been personally affected by the breach.
“It’s entirely possible,” says the insider. “Ash might be a national treasure, but that won’t stop hackers from selling her information if it turns out she is a victim.”
The massive strain Ash is under seemed written on her face as she made her way through Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport with husband Garry shortly after the cyber attack took place.
Regardless of whether or not Ash is one of the people whose private information has been stolen, she’ll likely have her work cut out for her over the next few months.
Since the data breach, Optus has come under fire for their slow response.
“I still haven’t even been contacted,” one angry customer tells New Idea more then a week after the “sophisticated” cyber attack took place.
As the company goes about rehabilitating their tattered image, it’s likely they’ll lean on Ash to help clean up the mess.
“Optus wanted to partner with Ash because she is an inspiring Australian who really connects with people,” explains the insider.
“The public has lost a lot of trust in Optus and they’ll be hoping to use their connection with her to build it up again,” continues the insider. “It’s a tall order, though, even for someone as loved as Ash is.”
