"9.7 million impacted." Medibank becomes the next organisation targeted by hackers.

Medibank has said they won't pay any ransom to the hacker that stole all its customer data, after revealing almost 500,000 health claims have been accessed.

Australia's largest health insurer says the names, dates of birth, address, phone numbers and email addresses of its 9.7 million former and current customers have been accessed, along with the Medicare and passport numbers of some customers.

But Medibank chief executive David Koczkar said the hacker probably wouldn't give the data back even if they paid a ransom fee and paying up could instead give other criminals an incentive to do the same thing.

"Based on the extensive advice we have received from cybercrime experts we believe there is only a limited chance paying a ransom would ensure the return of our customers' data and prevent it from being published," he said.

Medibank cybercrime update: today we’ve announced we will not pay the ransom to the criminal responsible for the data theft. A decision based on extensive advice we’ve received from cyber experts & consistent with the position of the Australian governmenthttps://t.co/FUYAN49uWo

— Medibank (@medibank) November 6, 2022

In fact, paying could have the opposite effect and encourage the criminal to directly extort our customers, and there is a strong chance that paying puts more people in harm's way by making Australia a bigger target."

The hacker accessed health claims of around 160,000 Medibank customers, around 300,000 claims from offshoot ahm customers and around 20,000 international customers. No credit card or banking details were accessed.

The insurer, which continues working with the federal government and other agencies, has also launched an external review into the incident. 

"We take seriously our responsibility to safeguard our customers ... the weaponisation of their private information in an effort to extort payment is malicious, and it is an attack on the most vulnerable members of our community," Mr Koczkar said.

"We will continue to support all people who have been impacted by this crime through our Cyber Response Support Program. This includes mental health and wellbeing support, identity protection and financial hardship measures."

Listen to tonight’s episode of The Quicky. Post continues after audio.

Opposition home affairs spokeswoman Karen Andrews said the data breaches of Medibank customers, along with similar breaches at Optus, had demonstrated the government had dropped the ball on cyber security measures. Ms Andrews urged the government to support a coalition proposal, which would introduce a standalone offence for cyber extortion.

Under the proposal, those who use ransomware would face a maximum of 10 years in prison, while those targeting critical infrastructure could be sentenced to 25 years behind bars.

"We don't pretend that this bill is a silver bullet, because no such thing exists, but it will present a new deterrent to these cyber criminals, and it is an important part of safeguarding Australia," she told parliament on Monday.

"The silence from the government has been deafening on these breaches."

The government introduced new laws last month that would increase fines for companies that were involved in data breaches, with the maximum fine raised from $2.2 million to at least $50 million.

Labor MP Louise Miller-Frost said the government was taking the threats from cyber attacks seriously.

"The breaches have had an impact on (people's) sense of personal security and on their ability to have confidence in the digital systems that we increasingly use to run and coordinate our lives," she told parliament. "Even if there is no financial loss, these data breaches cause major disruption and can be extremely unsettling."

With AAP.

Melbourne's Crown Casino has been slapped with a record $120 million in fines for breaching gambling laws spanning more than a decade, including consistently failing to stop people gaming for long periods.

The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) has taken disciplinary action against Crown for ongoing misconduct, imposing two fines. The breaches include allowing patrons to gamble for upwards of 24 hours without a break and failing to stop patrons from using plastic picks to hold down pokie machine buttons.

A 2021 royal commission found the Southbank casino had breached its code of conduct for the responsible service of gambling over about 12 years.

VGCCC chairwoman Fran Thorn said the casino prioritised revenue maximisation over its obligations to protect patrons.

"For a long time, Crown had promoted itself as having the world's best approach to problem gambling. Nothing could be further from the truth," Ms Thorn told reporters on Monday.

Crown Melbourne handed record $120 million fine for breaching gambling harm regulations https://t.co/ZcaErEv8P4

— ABC News (@abcnews) November 7, 2022

VGCCC applied a $100 million fine, marking the first time it has imposed the maximum penalty since being handed stronger enforcement powers. Ms Thorn said the casino ignored warnings about changing its "conservative" policy on play periods in 2018, which was problematic as many patrons could have been protected. Stories of loss and suicide attempts linked to gambling were heard at last year's Royal Commission and raised serious concerns.

A second fine of $20 million was imposed due to Crown's failure to prevent patrons from using devices to hold down pokie machine buttons, which allowed patrons to play continuously and on multiple machines at the same time. In 2019, Crown ignored requests to stop supplying the button picks and to take necessary steps to ensure they were not used by patrons.

The Victorian government said it was working to better regulate gambling across the state, pointing to the creation of the VGCCC and its greater powers to impose larger fines. The fines are the latest in a string of troubles and inquiries for the gambling giant across the country.

With AAP.

In some shocking TV news no one quite saw coming, the critical favourite series Westworld has been surprisingly cancelled. The cancellation has to do with some behind-the-scenes drama that we need to talk through.

And in some truly sad news, it was confirmed yesterday that musician Aaron Carter had passed away at the age of 34. Now we need to talk through the legacy he left for our generation and the celebrity tributes that piled in for him.

Plus, Selena Gomez’s new documentary My Mind & Me dropped over the weekend and has ignited a wave of conversations, and criticism. Now we need to dissect one of the most headline-making moments from the documentary, and why we personally take issue with it. And discuss why Selena is now being framed as a mean girl.

Get today’s episode of The Spill in your ears below:

Content warning: This story mentions sexual assault and may be distressing to some readers.

Sri Lankan international cricketer Danushka Gunathilaka has been charged with allegedly sexually assaulting a woman in Sydney's eastern suburbs hours after the pair met for their first date.

Police said the cricketer, who is in Australia for the T20 World Cup, and the 29-year-old woman first got in contact via a dating app last Sunday.

After a series of texts and calls, they met for a date on Wednesday before going back to the woman's home in Rose Bay.

Police allege it was there Gunathilaka assaulted her multiple times over a period of several hours.

Detectives launched an investigation on Saturday after reports of the alleged assault and early yesterday morning the 31-year-old batsman was arrested at his hotel on Sussex St.

He was charged with four counts of sexual intercourse without consent and refused bail to appear at Waverley Local Court today.

A Sri Lankan cricketer is tonight in a Sydney police cell accused of raping a woman he met on a dating app, while in the country for the T-20 World Cup. @AnnaliseBolt #9News pic.twitter.com/LkJLdqTWTg

— 9News Sydney (@9NewsSyd) November 6, 2022

NSW Sex Crimes Squad commander Jayne Doherty said the woman took a lot of steps to ensure her safety, including communicating with the man for several days before meeting and going for a date in a public place.

In a statement, Sri Lanka Cricket said it had been notified of the charges and it would monitor the court proceedings closely.

If this has raised any issues for you, or if you just feel like you need to speak to someone, please call 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) – the national sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling service.

- With AAP. 

A second body has been found in the search for two fathers who fell off the back of a ute swept away in NSW floodwaters.

The body was recovered at about 11.15am yesterday during a search operation in Bevendale. The first body was recovered on Thursday and police say they have not been formally identified but are believed to be the missing pair, who have been identified as fathers Bob Chahine and Ghosn Ghosn.

Two men who have been missing in NSW floodwaters have been identified as Sydney fathers Bob Chahine and Ghosn Ghosn | #nswfloods pic.twitter.com/g2mdU4yAty

— 10 News First Sydney (@10NewsFirstSyd) November 3, 2022

Meanwhile, NSW remains in the midst of a weeks-long flood crisis, with 99 flood warnings in place in the state yesterday afternoon.

The Lachlan River at Forbes reached a peak of 10.7 metres on Saturday, slightly below a record set in 1952, while south at Wagga Wagga the Murrumbidgee River peaked on Friday at 9.72m, its highest level in a decade.

As waters slowly receded yesterday, some residents of affected towns returned to assess damage, however state emergency services cautioned it was too early to measure the full impact.

"It's going to be a big couple of days of emergency response in this community until these floodwaters recede and then we can get in and do those damage assessments," NSW SES chief superintendent Ashley Sullivan told ABC TV.

Late Sunday, the Bureau of Meteorology warned the flood risk continued, issuing a severe thunderstorm warning for parts of the Riverina, Lower Western, Upper Western and Central West Slopes and Plains areas.

Across the border in Victoria, more than 40 flood alerts were in place on Sunday as authorities warned people on the Murray River at Kenley to evacuate.

- With AAP.

Aaron Carter's fiancée has shared a tearful video after the news broke of the singer-rapper's death on the weekend.

According to TMZ, Carter was found dead in his bath at his home after Los Angeles County police arrived at the scene after receiving a report of drowning.

Melanie Martin, with whom Carter shares an 11-month-old son named Prince, posted a two-second video of her crying while in the car on TikTok.

@missmelaniexx

♬ original sound - Melanie

She also shared a throwback video of Carter dancing during a TikTok Live, with the caption "Forever posting".

Martin earlier released a statement over the weekend, telling TMZ, "My fiancé Aaron Carter has passed away. I love Aaron with all my heart and it’s going to be a journey to raise a son without a father."

"Please respect the privacy of my family as we come to terms with the loss of someone we love greatly.

"We are still in the process of accepting this unfortunate reality. Your thoughts and prayers are greatly appreciated."

The on-and-off couple announced their engagement in June 2020 before welcoming their son in November last year. 

Carter's older brother, Backstreet Boy member Nick Carter, also shared a tribute to his sibling on social media.

Sometimes we want to blame someone or something for a loss, but the truth is that addiction and mental illness are the real villains here. I will miss my brother more than anyone will ever know. I love you baby brother. pic.twitter.com/jqo9T0DnnQ

— Nick Carter (@nickcarter) November 6, 2022

"My heart is broken. Even though my brother and I have had a complicated relationship, my love for him has never ever faded... I will miss my brother more than anyone will ever know. I love you baby brother."

Australia is a rich country with access to healthcare and nutritious foods, in a climate envied by others. But recent data shows 50 per cent of Australians are living with a long-term illness. 

This is the focus of a new TV show on the ABC, hosted by Magda Szubanski.

Today, we look at the science of 'fat', whether weight really is the biggest health issue Australians are facing or if it's become more of an obstacle to treatment for those issues, and whether we can actually be big and healthy. 

Feature Image: Getty.