DATA PROTECTION – AUSTRALIA

Passports, travel documents exposed in data breach

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Original article by David Swan
The Age – Page: Online : 9-Jan-24

Melbourne travel agency Inspiring Vacations is investigating a data breach that saw a non-password protected database leaked online. The database contained around 112,000 records, including passport images, travel visa certificates, and documents with partial credit card numbers on them. The breach was detected by cybersecurity researcher Jeremiah Fowler, who says the leaked data could be used for a range of illegal activities, such as identity theft, while Inspiring Vacations has informed the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner of the breach.

CORPORATES
INSPIRING VACATIONS, AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE AUSTRALIAN INFORMATION COMMISSIONER

Australia ranks worst in the world for data breaches

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Original article by Matthew Elmas
The New Daily – Page: Online : 14-Dec-22

Data from virtual private network provider Surfshark suggests that there was a 489 per cent increase in data breaches across Australia in the September quarter. The analysis shows that 7,387 local accounts were hacked per 100,000 Australians during the period, which equates to an average of 22 accounts being hacked every minute. Agneska Sablovskaja of Surfshark adds that there was 1,550 per cent growth in data breaches in Australia between October and November, compared with a 70.8 per cent decline globally over the same period. The issue of data security has come under scrutiny in the wake of high-profile incidents such as the Medibank and Optus hacks.

CORPORATES
SURFSHARK, MEDIBANK PRIVATE LIMITED – ASX MPL, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD

Fintechs slam CBA alerts as misleading

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Original article by James Eyers
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 & 20 : 18-Nov-19

Raiz Invest has criticised the Commonwealth Bank of Australia for warning customers about the security risks associated with the use of fintech apps. CBA customers who use the Raiz app recently received a warning that their NetBank account had been compromised, and cautioned against sharing account log-in details with third parties. Raiz CEO George Lucas says the CBA alert was misleading and may even constitute an abuse of market power. Fintech Australia’s Rebecca Schot-Guppy says CBA’s actions are concerning given that the open banking regime is slated to begin in early 2020.

CORPORATES
COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, RAIZ INVEST LIMITED – ASX RZI, FINTECH AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, ZIP CO LIMITED – ASX Z1P, AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB

Inside a massive cyber hack that risks compromising leaders across the globe

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Original article by Stephanie Borys
abc.net au – Page: Online : 3-Oct-19

Australian National University vice chancellor Brian Schmidt says a cyber attack on its computer network in November 2018 was an ‘extremely sophisticated operation’. It was also very simply executed, with ANU’s systems being compromised after a staffer merely previewed an email with an attachment, which allowed the hackers to create a copy of the university’s network map. The hackers were then able to access ANU’s enterprise systems domain, which enabled them to steal the personal data of ANU students from the last 19 years. The motives of the hackers remain unknown, but the stolen data could potentially include that of former students who are now in positions of power in both Australia and abroad.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY

Savers at risk in bank, credit union data hack

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Original article by Joyce Moullakis
The Australian – Page: 19 : 26-Aug-19

The security of the New Payments Platform is under scrutiny in the wake of revelations that the system has been subject to a second data breach. Cuscal has indicated that only about three per cent of bank and credit union customers who have registered for a PayID have been affected by the breach, which equates to less than 92,000 customers. Westpac customers who use the real-time NPP system were affected by a data breach in June.

CORPORATES
CUSCAL, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ

Your data at risk in takeovers

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Original article by Glenda Korporaal
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 21-Aug-19

Foreign Investment Review Board chairman David Irvine has stressed the need to closely scrutinise foreign bids for companies that own data centres or hold Australians’ personal data. Irvine has used an Australia China Business Council speech to argue that data must be afforded the same level of protection as critical infrastructure such as ports, water supply and the power sector. He added that the FIRB’s tougher stance on the issue of data security has not attracted much concern among foreign investors.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. FOREIGN INVESTMENT REVIEW BOARD, AUSTRALIA CHINA BUSINESS COUNCIL, AUSTRALIAN SECURITY INTELLIGENCE ORGANISATION, AUSTRALIAN SECRET INTELLIGENCE SERVICE, AUSTRALIA. CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE SECTOR, SIRTEX MEDICAL LIMITED, NATURE’S CARE, LIFE-SPACE GROUP, HEALIUS LIMITED – ASX HLS, JANGHO GROUP, AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE FORCE, KPMG AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY, AUSTRALIAN STRATEGIC POLICY INSTITUTE LIMITED

Back door to access data deliberately left open

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Original article by Mark Schliebs
The Australian – Page: 4 : 1-Aug-19

The federal government’s Telecommunication Interception and Access Act is under growing scrutiny amid revelations that a wide range of agencies are bypassing it to access Australians’ metadata. The data retention laws authorise 21 government agencies to access metadata without a warrant, but many other agencies are doing so via the Telecommunications Act. The Department of Home Affairs has indicated that this loophole was intentional, and that non-authorised agencies can access metadata on grounds other than law enforcement and national security.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HOME AFFAIRS, COMMUNICATIONS ALLIANCE LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, AUSTRALIA. PARLIAMENTARY JOINT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE AND SECURITY

Data snooping free-for-all

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Original article by Mark Schliebs
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 31-Jul-19

The Telecommunication Interception and Access Act identifies just 22 agencies that are entitled to access Australians’ metadata. However, a parliamentary committee that is reviewing the data retention laws has been told that at least 87 agencies have applied to access metadata without a warrant since the legislation took effect in 2015. Telstra has told the committee that many agencies are bypassing the data retention regime by seeking access to metadata via the Telecommunications Act. This is often to investigate minor legal breaches rather than serious criminal activity or issues concerning ­national security.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. PARLIAMENTARY JOINT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE AND SECURITY, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, COMMUNICATIONS ALLIANCE LIMITED, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, TPG TELECOM LIMITED – ASX TPM, AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HOME AFFAIRS, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN COMMISSION FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT INTEGRITY, AUSTRALIAN CRIMINAL INTELLIGENCE COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION

Open banking delayed due to data concerns

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 7 : 4-Jul-19

The federal government’s open banking regime is slated to begin on 1 February 2020, although this will require the Consumer Data Right bill to be passed by the end of July. Shadow financial services minister Stephen Jones says Labor has some concerns about how customers’ data is used and retained under the new regime, which will need to be addressed if Labor is to support the legislation. Jones has questioned whether there will be sufficient time to pass the bill before parliament rises for the winter break.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG

Banks on right track with open banking, says APRA chairman Byres

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Original article by James Eyers
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 25-Feb-19

Australian Prudential Regulation Authority chairman Wayne Byres says the nation’s banks are working hard to meet the schedule for implementing the open banking regime. The first phase of open banking, part of the federal government’s consumer data right program, takes effect on 1 July. Byres told a Senate committee hearing on 21 February that the banks are concerned about greater information security risks as a result of open banking being introduced, as well as the use of derived data, which he says they regard as their intellectual property.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN BANKING ASSOCIATION