Two men charged with unauthorized access to Albanese's data

Two men have been charged over the alleged unauthorized access of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s personal banking information, an incident that has raised significant concerns about data security. The two Sydney men, Paul Issa, 21, and Phillip Issa, 25, appeared at the Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, where their bail was continued. They are scheduled to appear in court again on August 25.

Paul Issa was a graduate employee of the global accounting and consulting firm EY, formerly Ernst & Young, who was on a temporary work assignment, or secondment, at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) when the alleged breach occurred. He has been charged with unauthorized access to restricted data and with using a carriage service to distribute personal data in a manner considered menacing or harassing. Phillip Issa, who is not linked to EY, faces a charge of facilitating unauthorized access to restricted data. The Australian Federal Police confirmed the men were charged on May 6, 2026.

According to reports, Paul Issa allegedly used the bank’s internal systems to access the Prime Minister’s confidential banking details without a legitimate work reason....