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Optus has begun contacting millions of customers affected by a massive data breach, more than 24 hours after alerting the media of the cyber attack.

Victims of the hack were emailed on Friday afternoon and told their names, birth dates, phone numbers, email addresses, driver's licence numbers, passport numbers and addresses had potentially all been accessed.

Optus also explained to customers why they may have learned of the breach via the news before hearing from the company.

"You would have seen we announced this first in the media," the telco wrote.

"We did this as it was the quickest and most effective way to alert you and all our customers, while also communicating the severity of the situation through trusted media sources."

Optus encouraged customers to have "heightened awareness" of their bank and other online accounts, and look out for scammers who may now have access to their personal information.

CEO Kelly Bayer Rosmarin on Friday apologised and said she felt terrible the attack happened on her watch.

"Obviously, I am angry there are people out there that want to do this to our customers. I'm disappointed we couldn't have prevented it," she said.

The company was still assessing the scale of the hack but staff believe the worst-case scenario is that 9.8 million customers have been affected.

While criminals or so-called state-based actors could be behind the cyber attack, Optus doesn't know who is responsible or their motivations.

Any user who has been with the company since 2017 could be impacted.

Ms Bayer Rosmarin said the public had been notified less than 24 hours after discovering the breach and the company was working closely with government authorities and federal police.

"This particular (cyber attack) is not similar to anything we've seen before and unfortunately it was successful," she said.

"It is too early to rule out any possibilities. So we're keeping it all open - it could be criminal and it could be state-based actors."

Optus has not identified where the hackers were located as their IP addresses kept moving between different countries in Europe.

There have been no ransomware demands, meaning they have not asked the company to pay them to return the data.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton called on cyber security minister Clare O'Neil to tell Australians about the scale of the breach and whether ongoing threats were posed.

"This may well be the biggest data breach in Australia's history at nine or 10 million people ... we don't know much more detail than that because the minister Clare O'Neil is missing in action," he told reporters.

Liberal MP Karen Andrews will introduce a private member's bill on Monday designed to strengthen jail penalties for cyber extortion.

Australian Consumer and Competition Commission deputy chair Delia Rickard said the attack was extremely worrying due to the large amount of personal information fraudsters might be able to access.

"These are all the things that you need for identity theft and also all the things you need to personalise a scam and make it much more convincing," she told Nine's Today program earlier on Friday.

Optus said users' payment details and account passwords had not been compromised and it was working with the Australian Cyber Security Centre to limit the risk to both current and former customers.

Ms Rickard said any Optus customers who suspected they were victims of fraud should request a ban on their credit records and be wary of calls from people purporting to represent banks or government agencies.

Scamwatch advised Optus customers to secure their personal information by changing online account passwords and enabling multi-factor authentication for banking.

Affected customers should also place limits on bank accounts and monitor for unusual activity.

© AAP 2022

Optus has begun contacting millions of customers affected by a massive data breach, more than 24 hours after alerting the media to the cyber attack.

Victims were emailed on Friday afternoon and told some combination of their personal details including names, birth dates, phone numbers and driver's licence or passport numbers may have been accessed.

Optus also explained why they may have learned of the breach via the news before hearing from the company.

"You would have seen we announced this first in the media," the telco wrote.

"We did this as it was the quickest and most effective way to alert you and all our customers, while also communicating the severity of the situation through trusted media sources."

Optus vice president of regulatory and public affairs Andrew Sheridan confirmed on Friday some 9.8 million customers had been impacted by the attack.

"There are some ... where the information exposed is their name, date of birth and phone number," he told Melbourne's 3AW.

"Then for a subset, a smaller number, there is a government ID number such as a driver's licence number or passport number."

Customers with the company since 2017 may be affected, however no payment details or Optus account passwords had been accessed.

Mr Sheridan also ruled out human error as responsible for allowing the breach.

"It's been a very sophisticated cyber attack on Optus," he said.

"We've got very strong cyber security systems within our organisation and ... therefore it has been a very sophisticated compromise of those protections."

Optus chief executive Kelly Bayer Rosmarin on Friday apologised and said she felt terrible the attack happened on her watch.

"Obviously, I am angry there are people out there that want to do this to our customers. I'm disappointed we couldn't have prevented it," she said.

While criminals or so-called state-based actors could be behind the hack, Optus doesn't know who is responsible or their motivations.

Ms Bayer Rosmarin said the public had been notified less than 24 hours after discovering the breach and the company was working closely with government authorities and federal police.

"It is too early to rule out any possibilities," she said.

"So we're keeping it all open - it could be criminal and it could be state-based actors."

Optus has not identified where the hackers were located as their IP addresses kept moving between different countries in Europe.

There have been no ransomware demands, meaning they have not asked for payment to return the data.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton called on cyber security minister Clare O'Neil to tell Australians about the scale of the breach and whether ongoing threats were posed.

"This may well be the biggest data breach in Australia's history at nine or 10 million people ... we don't know much more detail than that because the minister Clare O'Neil is missing in action," he told reporters.

Liberal MP Karen Andrews will introduce a private member's bill on Monday designed to strengthen jail penalties for cyber extortion.

Australian Consumer and Competition Commission deputy chair Delia Rickard said the attack was extremely worrying due to the large amount of personal information fraudsters might be able to access.

"These are all the things that you need for identity theft and also all the things you need to personalise a scam and make it much more convincing," she told Nine's Today program.

She said any Optus customers who suspected they were victims of fraud should request a ban on their credit records and be wary of calls from people purporting to represent banks or government agencies.

Scamwatch advised Optus customers to change online account passwords and enable multi-factor authentication for banking.

© AAP 2022

Political leaders have honoured the life of Queen Elizabeth II during the first sitting of federal parliament since the monarch's death.

MPs and senators spent Friday paying tribute to the Queen and congratulating King Charles III on his accession to the throne, with condolence motions taking up the day's proceedings.

While most speeches honoured the Queen's service, some recalling personal encounters, others used their speaking time to reflect on the complicated legacy for Indigenous people or call for a republic.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said it was hard to grasp the Queen "belongs to the realm of memory" after her seven-decade reign.

"She was a rare and reassuring constant amidst rapid change," he said.

The prime minister looked back on the Queen's 16 trips to Australia. She was the only reigning monarch to visit the country.

"She got to know us, appreciate us, embrace us and the feeling was very much mutual," Mr Albanese said.

"Along the way, Her Majesty had one of the most Australian experiences of all - sitting next to Bob Hawke at the races when his horse was winning."

The prime minister also offered condolences to King Charles III.

"We think of King Charles, who feels the weight of this sorrow as he takes on the weight of the crown," he said.

"At the dawn of his reign, we wish His Majesty well."

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton paid tribute to the Queen's service and her bond with Australia.

"Most never met her, of course, but felt that (they) knew her. We draw on the wisdom of her words and on the comfort of her voice," he said.

"She admired that Australian trait to honour those who go about their essential business without fuss or media attention.

"But of course, wherever the Queen went, crowds choked the streets cheering and clapping and waving their flags to express their adoration."

Former prime minister Scott Morrison used his speech to reflect on the Queen's service and faith.

"She was a rock and a constant in so many people's lives. She was something that didn't change in a world that changed every minute of every day," he said.

Greens leader Adam Bandt passed on his condolences but reiterated his support for Australia to become a republic.

"The Queen's passing means that we get a new head of state without having any say in the matter. It is absolutely the appropriate time to talk respectfully about whether that is right for us as a country," he said.

"We can offer our condolences to those grieving her personally, while also talking respectfully about what it means for us as a people."

While assistant minister for the republic Matt Thistlethwaite also honoured the Queen in parliament, he did not refer to the republic during his speech.

Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney also reflected on the complicated emotions experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the wake of the Queen's death.

"For many Indigenous Australians, the legacy of the monarchy is fraught - a complex, difficult and painful reminder of the impact of colonisation," she told parliament.

"The Queen's relationship with Indigenous Australians reflects both how far we have come and how far we still have to go."

Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young offered her condolences on behalf of the minor party and spoke about the need for reconciliation with Australia's Indigenous people.

"She did not remove children from their parents, or personally attempt to remove and decimate one of the oldest cultures in the world," she told the Senate.

"(But) she was the representative of the government in the institution that did. Generations of oppression, trauma and suffering as the result of colonisation must be reckoned with."

© AAP 2022