Government News

Australia’s Attorney-General, Christian Porter, has released draft legislation that codifies protections for personal data collected through the Government’s contact tracing COVIDSafe app. The Government will introduce its new Privacy Amendment (Public Health Contact Information) Bill 2020 into Parliament next week, providing...

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) is finalising nationwide submissions to revise a Federal strategy aimed at strengthening engagement in cyber and critical technology affairs between Australia and its global trading partners. In an official statement, DFAT said...

The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) has been handed $5.2 million from the state government to support a wide-ranging tech and teleservices upgrade to help to see it through the Covid-19 shutdown period. The upgrades, scheduled over the next...

The NSW Audit Office has warned of systemic flaws in the state’s Registry of Births, Deaths, and Marriages’ (BD&M) database management system, with sensitive public records potentially exposed to unauthorised access. The concerns were highlighted in a report released earlier...

Data from more than 300,000 Australian Facebook users may have been accessed and used without authorisation, an investigation by the Office of Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) has revealed, as it pursues civil litigation against the social media giant. The OAIC’s...

The Federal Government will enact a mandatory code of conduct requiring bigtech companies to financially recompense traditional news outlets for reposting their content. The mandatory code is currently being drafted by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) under moves...

Queensland has become Australia’s fifth state to launch a Covid-19 data tracking website, providing daily reporting on coronavirus cases active across the state. The website offers a detailed snapshot of active and recovered Covid-19 cases, together with analysis of case rates across...

Covid-19 themed cyber scams have seen a marked uptick over the past month, with cybercriminals launching more sophisticated phishing campaigns aimed at distributing malware or harvesting personal information, according to the latest threat update by the Government’s Australian Cyber Security...

Plans to introduce a Covid-19 contact tracing app in Australia have sparked concerns among privacy advocates and data security experts, with fears a lack of transparency in the development phase could undermine public trust in the system. Due to be...

Tech titans Apple and Google have signed a landmark partnership to fast-track the development of contact tracing apps by state health authorities in an effort to stem the tide of Covid-19 transmissions. In a rare joint statement by the technology...

The CSIRO’s digital research and development arm, Data61, has announced the launch of the global seL4 Foundation, tasked with fast-tracking the development of systems based on the seL4 microkernel – an effort that could prove a massive leg-up for cybersecurity...

Commonwealth entities reported 427 cybersecurity incidents last year requiring intervention from the country’s chief cyber defence agency, the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC). The figures were revealed in the recently released Commonwealth Cyber Security report commissioned by the Australian Signals...

The Covid-19 pandemic has triggered a surge in foreign cybercriminals targeting vulnerable Australians, with the Government’s lead cyber defence agency announcing extra resources to combat threat actors. The Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) said it has doubled down on efforts to...

More than 3,000 eminent scientists, researchers, and experts have come together to build a consolidated research hub to help manage Australia’s Covid-19 crisis, providing an invaluable tool to guide decision-makers in government and industry. Under the collaboration, local scientists will...

The Queensland Government has announced it has significantly increased capacity within its telehealth services network, enabling more patients to consult a doctor from their homes. It is hoped the extra capacity will reduce pressure on healthcare professionals within Queensland’s hospital...