Poole Group (Sunshine Coast accountants, QLD): LockBit 5 claim confirmed as a cyber incident — OAIC, ACSC and ATO notified (16 Oct statement)
Poole Group, a Sunshine Coast accounting and business advisory firm founded in 1980, was listed on LockBit 5's leak site (ransomware.live discovered 14 October 2026) with a countdown toward 25 October. On 16 October a company spokesperson told Banking Daily / Cyber Daily that Poole Group is responding to a cyber incident that affected part of its IT environment in recent days: it implemented containment measures, engaged external cyber security specialists, and notified the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, the Australian Cyber Security Centre and the Australian Taxation Office. The investigation into nature and scope is ongoing; the firm says it will contact individuals directly if it determines any were affected. LockBit did not publish a data-volume or ransom figure on the listing. Accounting firms hold tax file numbers, identity documents and financial records, so clients should watch for targeted phishing or invoice-redirection attempts. Primary: Banking Daily company statement (16 Oct); earlier leak-site listing: ransomware.live.
- Exploited in Australia?
- unknown
- Patch to
- Clients: verify any payment or bank-detail change by phone on a known number, and watch for tax-time and ATO-themed phishing. The firm says it will contact affected individuals directly if its investigation finds personal information was involved.
Primary: Banking Daily — Poole Group investigating LockBit ransomware attack; OAIC, ACSC, ATO notified (16 Oct 2026) · Vendor: Poole Group (public site) · ransomware.live — poolegroup.com.au / LockBit 5 (discovered 14 Oct 2026)