The State Government has taken immediate steps to safeguard the identities of Western Australians impacted by the Optus data breach.
New driver's licence cards with new licence numbers will be issued to those who have been informed by Optus that their driver's licence information has been compromised as part of the breach.
Optus have confirmed that they will be contacting customers directly in the coming days if their specific licence has been compromised, in addition to the original email advising of the breach.
If you receive this secondary notification from Optus that your licence details have been compromised, please attend a Department of Transport (DoT) Driver and Vehicle Services Centre or regional agent to have a new licence issued, and provide DoT staff with:
a primary and secondary proof of identity;
an Optus issued document verifying a proof of breach; and
a current WA driver's licence.
The customer will not be charged by the DoT for the new licence, and customers attending a Driver and Vehicle Services Centre to apply for a new driver's licence card will be prioritised.
Customers will be issued with a letter acknowledging their application while the new cards are printed, and current licence cards will be surrendered.
A list of DoT Driver and Vehicle Services Centres and regional agents can be found on the DoT website.
As stated by Transport Minister Rita Saffioti:
"The State Government is committed to ensuring the privacy of Western Australians affected by the Optus data breach, by providing them with a new driver's licence card and licence number.
"This morning, the State Government had further conversations with Optus, who advised us that they are still working to identify the Western Australians who have had their licences compromised. I have asked that they expedite this, so that customers know if they have been directly impacted.
"We encourage those Western Australians who receive this confirmation in the coming days to attend their nearest DoT Driver and Vehicle Services Centre or regional agent as soon as possible to apply for a new driver's licence card.
"Those people will be prioritised, however, we do ask for patience from our customers as our DoT staff attend to everyone who has been affected.
"The State Government will be billing Optus for the cost of these licence replacements."
