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The Australian privacy commissioner calls on government and businesses to do more to protect personal data.
Data breach notifications reached an all-time high last year, with the Office of the Australian Privacy Commissioner (OAIC) reporting a 25 per cent increase in 2024 compared with 2023.
While the OAIC received 893 data breach notifications in 2023, that number ballooned to 1,113 notifications in 2024, prompting Australian privacy commissioner Carly Kind to observe that more needs to be done to protect the personal information of Australians.
“The trends we are observing suggest the threat of data breaches, especially through the efforts of malicious actors, is unlikely to diminish, and the risks to Australians are only likely to increase,” Kind said in a statement.
“Businesses and government agencies need to step up privacy and security measures to keep pace.
“Australians trust businesses and government agencies with their personal information and expect it to be treated with care and kept secure.”
Malicious breaches and criminal activity accounted for 69 per cent of reported breaches in the year’s second half. Sixty-one per cent of these were cyber security incidents. The Australian government and healthcare providers remain the most impacted sectors, accounting for 17 and 20 per cent of all notifications, respectively.
Kind said that as many Australians have little choice but to share their personal information with government agencies, the public sector must do better.
“This makes it even more important that agencies keep personal information secure and have an action plan in place should a breach occur,” Kind said.
“Time is of the essence with data breaches, as the risk of serious harm often increases as days pass. Timely notification ensures people are informed and can take steps to protect themselves.”
You can read the full Notifiable Data Breaches Report for July to December 2024 here.
David Hollingworth has been writing about technology for over 20 years, and has worked for a range of print and online titles in his career. He is enjoying getting to grips with cyber security, especially when it lets him talk about Lego.
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