July 22, 2026 — 1:43pmPower and gas giant Origin Energy has launched an urgent investigation into a potential security breach after a hacker claimed to have gained access to the personal details of up to 2 million Australian customers.Origin, the nation’s largest energy retailer, said on Wednesday it was investigating the potential hacking incident and acknowledged the issue might raise concerns for customers.Origin Energy is Australia’s largest electricity and gas retailer.The company said it did not believe customers’ credit card or bank details had been accessed.“Our investigations into this incident are occurring as a matter of urgency, and Origin will provide further updates as appropriate,” a spokesperson said.The hacker has claimed to have access to the personal details of 2 million Origin Energy customers, including their names, addresses, contact numbers and dates of birth. However, Origin has not been able to verify these claims, which the hacker told The Australian.The company is expecting to provide an update on Thursday morning.If confirmed, the attack would be one of the worst cyberattacks in recent Australian business history.Origin said it had notified the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) and the Australian Federal Police of the potential incident, and had engaged with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.The hacker had not yet demanded a financial ransom, said a source briefed on the situation but not authorised to speak publicly about it.Cybersecurity researcher Jamieson O’Reilly commended the energy retailer’s swift reporting to authorities. “Origin has done the right thing by moving quickly and bringing in the ACSC, the AFP and the Information Commissioner,” he told this masthead.“Speed is everything in the first 48 hours of an incident like this, and AI is exactly why. Adversaries are AI-enabled now, and that means they move at a speed defenders have to plan for.”O’Reilly stressed that transparent communication must now be the priority. “The job now is getting clear, honest information to the 4.7 million customers who will be worried tonight. Every hour of delay is an hour an AI-enabled adversary uses to weaponise whatever they’ve taken.”Origin’s share price finished down 1.9 per cent on the news.If confirmed, the attack would be one of the worst cyberattacks in recent Australian business history. Origin could face potential fines of up to $50 million, or 30 per cent of its revenue, if it is found to have mishandled the breach or failed to secure its systems adequately.The potential breach comes amid a growing wave of cyber incidents plaguing major Australian companies and institutions. Last week, healthcare provider Partnered Health had sensitive medical records and personal information stolen from its national network of GP clinics.Experts warn that customer fatigue and anxiety are reaching unprecedented levels in 2026. According to recent research by the War Studies Research Group, almost half of the country – 47 per cent of Australians – experienced some form of cybercrime last year.Customers are being urged to monitor their accounts for suspicious activity, change passwords across their utility and email accounts, and be on high alert for targeted phishing scams that leverage the stolen billing histories.The Market Recap newsletter is a wrap of the day’s trading. Get it each weekday afternoon.From our partners