OAIC Report: Data Breaches Down 14%, But Impact on Millions Rises
The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) has released its latest Notifiable Data Breaches report, revealing a 14% decrease in data breaches from January to June 2022 compared to the previous period. However, the report also highlights the significant impact of recent data breaches on millions of Australians.
During the reporting period, 396 data breaches were notified to the OAIC. Notably, 24 of these breaches affected 5,000 or more Australians, with four impacting 100,000 or more. Despite the decrease in overall breaches, the severity and scale of these incidents underscore the ongoing threat to personal data.
The report emphasizes the importance of a robust data breach response plan. Organizations should aim to notify affected individuals and minimize harm as soon as practicable. The Privacy Act 1988 mandates a 30-day assessment period and prompt notification to the OAIC and affected parties. However, no specific organizations were reported to have experienced delays in this process during the period.
The majority of entities (71%) complied with the 30-day notification requirement. Nevertheless, Australian Information Commissioner Angelene Falk urges organizations to review their personal information handling practices and risk areas. She advises collecting only necessary personal data and deleting it once it's no longer required.
Cyber security incidents accounted for 41% of all breaches, with ransomware, phishing, and compromised or stolen credentials being the primary sources.
The latest report underscores the need for organizations to maintain strong information handling practices and up-to-date data breach response plans. Despite a decrease in overall breaches, the severity of recent incidents highlights the ongoing risk to Australians' personal data. The OAIC encourages organizations to heed these findings and enhance their data protection measures.
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