A hacker gained unauthorized access to the Queensland EWN, or Early Warning Network, and used it to send a spam alert via SMS, landline, and email to the company’s subscribers. The EWN is a service offered by Australian company Aeeris that allows Australian councils, or local governments, to send emergency alerts regarding extreme weather, fires, evacuation information, or incident responses. The unauthorized alerts stated that “EWN has been hacked. Your personal data is not safe”” EWN staff at the time were able to quickly identify the attack and shut off the system limiting the number of messages sent.”
Source: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/hacker-uses-australian-early-warning-network-to-send-spam-alerts/