Australia Faces Surge in Data Breaches to Highest Level in 3.5 Years

In the first half of 2024 Australia recorded the highest number of data breach notifications in 3.5 years (527 reports), driven largely by malicious cyber incidents; the report highlights a single MediSecure breach impacting 12.9 million Australians, widespread use of ransomware, phishing and compromised credentials, and proposes stronger enforcement and legislative measures to improve privacy and security.