Data Breaches Surge in Late 2024
The OAIC’s latest Notifiable Data Breaches Report reveals a sharp rise in reported breaches, with 595 incidents between July and December 2024 — up from 518 in the previous half of the year.
Key findings:
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Malicious or criminal attacks were responsible for 69% of breaches, with phishing the most common method.
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Health service providers led reporting by sector, followed by Australian Government agencies and the finance industry.
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Most breaches (66%) were identified within 30 days, but delays in notification remain an issue.
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Human error contributed to 29% of breaches, often due to personal information being sent to the wrong recipient.
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The majority of affected individuals (per incident) ranged from one person to fewer than 100.
The report underscores the ongoing need for proactive cyber defence and robust information handling practices across all sectors.