The Federal Government has heralded major changes to the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (Privacy Act), including tougher penalties for breaches of privacy and other measures to ensure safety online. The Attorney-General Christian Porter MP announced the increased penalties saying that the current regime under the Privacy Act “falls short of community expectations”. The proposed […]

We are entering the age where data is king. An age where the supercharged collection and processing of data can create powerful opportunities for businesses. But this is not without risk, and never before has the responsibility to ensure data security been more important for company directors. With the digitisation of everything, data proliferation and […]

Ponemon Institute recently published its 13th annual report on data breaches across the globe: 2018 Cost of a Data Breach Study: Global Overview. It’s worth a read. It explores not just the cost in dollars but also which elements can increase and decrease costs associated with a data breach. Interestingly, the report examines the average […]

If you’ve been taking notice of what’s been happening around the world in the realm of privacy legislation, you would know that 2018 was a big year. Not least in the European Union, where the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) went into effect in May. The comprehensive new regulations have shifted practice to a ‘privacy […]

What can we learn from the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme? We’re now 9 months on since the commencement of the Notifiable Data Breaches (NBD) scheme. Taking effect on 22 February this year, the NBD made obligations to report data breaches more stringent and exposed business to the possibility of huge fines for non-reporting of breaches. […]

When it comes to data management and privacy, many businesses today are grappling with the ever-present danger of cybercrime. However, a recent data breach in NSW, illustrates that the proper maintenance and disposal of paper records should also not be overlooked. The discovery of 1000 medical records relating to 400 patients of an Aged Care […]

Technology is an integral part of doing business and updating computer equipment, and software is fast becoming necessary to maintain a competitive edge. However, replaced and unused electronic devices present a problem for many businesses – what do you do with a growing stockpile of old technology? You’re not alone if you’re worried about data […]

Businesses dealing with acutely sensitive financial or medical records, such as accountants and doctor’s practices, are often SMEs, where data security may be less formal, less developed and less documented. This combination of sensitive data and potentially lower security levels make these businesses particularly susceptible to data breaches. Federal parliament is currently considering a bill which would require […]

It’s that time of year again. The end of each financial year is when many of us finally get around to sorting out the clutter on our desks, in our filing cabinets and on our computer storage facilities – computer hard drives, CDs, tape backup drives and the like. Then we classify old records, and […]