Data breaches reach highest rate in more than 3 years
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The news: Australia has seen its highest level of data breaches in three and a half years, according to new figures from the privacy regulator.
The number: The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) received 527 data breach notifications from January to June this year, according to a new report.
The figures account for the highest number of notifiable data breaches submitted to the privacy watchdog since the second half of 2020.
The health industry accounted for 19% of notifiable data breaches, with the Australian Government notifying 12%.
The 527 total figure was a 9% increase on the number of data breaches notified to the regulator for the second half of 2023.
The top industries suffering data breaches also included retail, finance and education.
The most common cause of a data breach in the first half of the year was malicious or criminal attack, accounting for 67% of breaches, with human error accounting for 30%.
The context: Under requirements introduced in 2018, organisations must notify the privacy regulator of a data breach where personal information has been lost or accessed or disclosed without authorisation; the data breach is likely to result in serious harm to one or more individuals; and the organisation has not been able to prevent the likely risk of serious harm with remedial action.
The source: OAIC media release
