Australia’s Mandatory Data Breach Reporting Scheme: a year on what have we learned?

     Twelve months on, consumers are arguably more troubled about the lack of safeguards for privacy, while businesses face the prospect of further regulation and oversight. Without a fundamental shift in how privacy is addressed, the cycle of heightened concern followed by further regulation looks set to continue. In this article, Melanie Marks Principal of elevenM and InfoGovANZ advisory board member, examines how data breaches are happening and the benefits of a more proactive and embedded approach of privacy by design. Australian businesses became subject to a mandatory data breach reporting scheme on 22 February 2018.  Angst and anticipation came with its introduction – angst for the disruption it might have on unprepared businesses and anticipation of the positive impact it would have for privacy. Twelve months on, consumers are arguably more troubled about the lack of safeguards for privacy, while businesses face the prospect of further regulation and oversight. […]