Government, Councils, and Universities Report 52 Data Breaches
The Information and Privacy Commissioner (IPC) NSW described the number of breaches as “moderate,” though breaches doubled in May and June compared to earlier months. The IPC emphasised the need for leaders across sectors to address cyber security risks and highlighted the importance of investing in ICT security and staff training to safeguard personal information.
Of the 52 breaches, 34 impacted government agencies, with nine reported by councils and universities each. Around 80% of incidents in government were attributed to human error, whereas 44% of university breaches were the result of cyber attacks. Alarmingly, three university breaches affected over 5000 individuals. The report also noted that in one-third of state government cases, breach notifications took one to six months, underscoring the need for better compliance with reporting timelines.