Privacy regulators from across Australia have issued a joint statement calling on Government Agencies, individuals and organisations to get ‘back to basics’ this Privacy Awareness Week and ensure they have covered the privacy fundamentals.
In signing the joint statement, Victorian Information Commissioner Sven Bluemmel said Privacy Awareness Week (until 7 May) was about the simple steps that everyone could put in place to protect personal information.
“Things have changed a great deal in the last few decades,” Mr Bluemmel said.
“Since the first Australian Privacy Commissioner was appointed in 1989, the information and technology landscape has become significantly more complicated, and new technologies require us to move with the times – in business, as Government Agencies, in regulation and legislation, and as individuals,” he said.
“Organisations and Agencies now collect, use and disclose huge amounts of personal information.
“The practices to keep it safe, and to use it responsibly, need to keep pace.”
Mr Bluemmel said Agencies and organisations should only collect personal information that was necessary for carrying out their functions and activities and take reasonable steps to secure it.
He said that once the information was no longer needed for any enduring legitimate purpose, it should be securely destroyed or permanently de-identified.
“Carrying information that is not needed creates additional risk, especially in the event of a data breach,” the Information Commissioner said.
“For individuals, we can all take simple steps to make sure we don’t share personal information without good reason when accessing services or products, protect our accounts using multi-factor authentication and strong passphrases, and wipe data from old accounts and devices,” he said.
“Australia’s privacy authorities will continue to work together to uphold privacy protections and promote awareness of the responsibilities of organisations and government agencies and the rights of individuals.”
In addition to Mr Bluemmel, the joint statement was signed by Australian Information Commissioner and Privacy Commissioner Angelene Falk ; Queensland Privacy Commissioner Paxton Booth; Director, State Records of South Australia, Stephanie Coleman; Tasmanian Ombudsman Richard Connock; NSW Privacy Commissioner Samantha Gavel; Queensland Information Commissioner Rachel Rangihaeata; and Northern Territory Information Commissioner Peter Shoyer.
Ten tips for Government Departments and Agencies to apply so they keep personal information safe can be accessed at this PS News link.
