For digital government services to succeed, people need to trust that their personal information will be handled safely and securely.
'Trusted and secure' is one of 5 missions identified in the Data and Digital Government Strategy and a priority for the Australian Government's digital transformation.
People trust government to handle their personal information securely and use it with integrity. Cultivating this trust is more important than ever. Recent high-profile data breaches threaten to erode public trust in digital services, including those operated by government.
The government continues to champion transparency, security and integrity in its approach to public data and online services. This commitment to public trust and security is well represented in the 2024 Implementation Plan.
Maintaining privacy and autonomy in the digital world
From taxes to medical records, people engage with a wide range of government services online.
'Whenever someone shares their personal information with government, they expect that it's handled and stored securely' said Lucy Poole, General Manager of Strategy, Planning and Performance at the Digital Transformation Agency.
'Legislative changes and additional measures ensure that government meets these important expectations.'
In November 2024, the government passed the Privacy and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2024, implementing the first tranche of reforms following the government's response to the Privacy Act Review.
These reforms strengthen privacy protections for all Australians including two additional offences under the Criminal Code Act 1995 covering the malicious release of personal information, known as doxing. The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner also received new investigative and regulatory powers to respond to privacy and data breaches.
The Identity Verification Service Credential Protection Register, launched in October 2022, helps people 'lock down' their stolen credentials in the event of a privacy or data breach. It has already prevented over 300,000 attempts to fraudulently use stolen credentials.
With the passage of the Digital ID Act in 2024, people have greater control over how their identity documents are shared with businesses and government.
Digital ID reduces the personal documents people need to verify their identity and offers a simple, safe way to do so without needing physical copies.
Securing digital ecosystems
Keeping personal information safe and secure doesn't just require organisational integrity and trustworthiness. It also involves the security of the digital systems used to process and store personal information.
The government is committed to ensuring that the APS maintains a secure operating environment for all its data holdings.
The Data and Regulatory Transformation Program, includes uplifts to the cyber security and data protection of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Quality and Safeguard Commission's operating environment.
These updates include data integration and analytics capabilities that allow for stronger protection of sensitive data, leading to better outcomes for NDIS participants and service providers.
The government is also ensuring entities across the APS have high security standards for their data holdings through the Hosting Certification Framework that mandates all sensitive government data, whole-of-government systems, and systems rated for PROTECTED material must be hosted using certified services, while all sensitive information needs to be stored within Australia.
Conclusion
The government relies on its services being secure and trusted by the public.
'The 2024 update to the Implementation Plan demonstrates its commitment to its secure and transparent digital ecosystems,' continues Ms Poole.
Robust measures, like the Privacy and Other Legislation Amendment Bill and the Digital ID Act, enhance data protection and individuals' control over personal information.
