Origin Energy is looking into a possible data breach.

The news came out on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, at 1:07 pm.

More information was given at 6:31 pm on the same day.

Origin Energy told the Australian Cyber Security Centre and the Australian Federal Police about the breach.

In short:

Origin Energy is checking if customer data was affected by a security breach.

The company told the Australian Cyber Security Centre and the Australian Federal Police.

Someone claiming to be the hacker gave the ABC a sample of the data.

Origin Energy, a big energy company, is looking into a possible security breach.

The company said it is checking if some customers' data was accessed without permission.

The company does not think credit card or bank details were affected.

The company knows this incident may worry customers and is working to resolve it quickly.

The company will give more updates as it learns more.

Cybersecurity experts question why some companies take so long to report data breaches.

The company told the Australian Cyber Security Centre and the Australian Federal Police.

A hacker sent the ABC 50 customer records with names, addresses, and other information.

After this, Origin Energy told authorities about a possible security breach.

The alleged hacker gave the ABC a sample of data.

The ABC talked to someone who claims to be the hacker.

The hacker gave the ABC what they said was a sample of data and screenshots of Origin's computer systems.

The ABC could not confirm if the data is real.

This is what Origin Energy users see when they log in.

The sample data includes real contact information that was not publicly known before.

Someone whose phone number was in the sample confirmed they were an Origin Energy customer.

This person is worried that their data might be released and cause more problems.

They said it was shocking.

The person runs a business and uses their email for important accounts.

Cyber experts say this could be a warning sign for bigger problems.

Origin Energy is a big energy company with over 4.7 million customers.

The company's shares dropped 1.88% after the announcement.

There were over 500 data breaches in Australia in the first half of 2025.

Major companies like Qantas, Optus, and Medibank have had big data breaches.

Last week, a healthcare company was targeted in a cyber attack.

A cybersecurity expert said a power company breach is especially worrying.

There is a law about how critical industries like energy respond to cybersecurity incidents.

The expert asked if Origin Energy is taking security seriously.

A successful cyber attack on an energy company could be a warning sign.

If an energy company is hacked, it could affect people's power.

Experts say a breach of a power company would be very worrying.

Another expert said there is not much information about what happened with Origin Energy.

The expert said there is no way to confirm if the data given to the media is real.

Some groups that do this kind of thing try to extort money first and then release data.

They use the media and social media to put pressure on.

If you were affected, please contact us and share any information you have.

See more ABC coverage.

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