Optus is defending the time it took to reveal a massive cyber attack where millions of Australians had their personal information stolen.

The telco reported “unusual activity” yesterday afternoon and is now working with the Australian Cyber Security Centre and the Australian Federal Police.

But Optus Regulatory and Public Affairs Vice President Andrew Sheridan admitted to Ben Fordham they first became aware something was wrong on Wednesday.

And a press release was only released after a story about the breach appeared in The Australian.

Andrew Sheridan: “We’ve acted very, very quickly.”

Ben Fordham: “I’ve got to call you out Andrew, I don’t think you’ve acted quickly at all. We’ve had many companies notify of potential breaches straight away. You guys failed to do that.”

Customers are being asked to be “extra vigilant” but the telco is yet to reveal exactly how many customers have had their information leaked.

Press PLAY below to hear the full interview

If you believe your account has been compromised, make contact through the My Optus App – which remains the safest way to contact Optus. Consumer customers can call 133 937 or 133 343 for business customers.