Qantas Supplier Incident Prompts ACS Call for Tougher Supply Chain Scrutiny

The Australian Computer Society (ACS) has called for stronger scrutiny of technology supply chains after a cyber incident involving Amadeus, a technology supplier to Qantas. In a statement dated 3 November 2026, ACS CEO Dr Prins Ralston said Australians deserve confidence that the information they give the national carrier is protected across its supply chain. He noted Qantas has said its own systems remain secure and that it is assessing whether bookings were affected.

Ralston argued the incident is part of a broader pattern of cyber risk, and also referred to breaches affecting Medicare. He cited Australian Signals Directorate figures showing its Cyber Security Centre responded to more than 1,500 incidents in 2025-26, a 20% increase. He warned of state-sponsored actors accessing networks to gather intelligence and potentially cause future disruption. ACS called for independent testing, clearer accountability and demonstrated capability among those who secure and assess key systems.

The statement also linked resilience to workforce skills. Ralston said employers should use verified capability when appointing people to protect critical systems, and where skills have not been independently assessed, organisations should verify capability, identify gaps and provide training. ACS pointed to its Digital Pulse 2026 report, which forecasts Australia will need another 259,000 technology workers by 2035. This is only the opening of the source article, so further detail on the incident may not be covered here.