Cyber security is one of the latest buzz words, and deservingly so with up to 9.7 million Optus customers falling victim to a cyber-attack on 22 September 2022. While the full scale of the breach is yet to be determined, the attack resulted in the unauthorised disclosure of personal information including names, addresses, phone numbers and identification document numbers including drivers licences, Medicare and passport numbers.
Alarmingly, over 67,500 incidents of cyber security crimes were reported during the 2020-21 financial year, an increase of nearly 13 per cent from the previous year.[1]
The Australia Cyber Security Centre (ASCR) 2020-2021 annual report observed that fraud-related cybercrime – where actors use computers or online services to commit fraud – is the major threat for consumers, with the most prevalent sources of these frauds being generated from shopping online and online banking.
Abundantly clear is that cyber-security should be front of mind for all Australians and organisations.
On 11 October 2022, the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) commenced an investigation into the personal handling practices of the Optus group in regard…
