Fewer data breaches in Australia, but human error now a bigger threat | Computer Weekly

Fewer Data Breaches in Australia, But Human Error on the Rise

The number of reported data breaches in Australia declined in the first half of 2025, yet a sharp increase in incidents caused by human error has become a growing concern for the nation’s privacy authority.

Data Breach Statistics

According to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC), 532 notifiable breaches were recorded between January and June 2025 under the Notifiable Data Breaches (NDB) scheme—a 10% decrease compared with the previous six months.

Human Factor Growing in Importance

Despite the overall decline in total breaches, human error became a more prominent issue. Breaches caused by staff mistakes rose to 37% of the total, up from 29% in the prior reporting period.

“The human factor continues to pose a notable threat to the strength of an organisation’s personal information security, regardless of how secure its systems are,” said Australian privacy commissioner Carly Kind.

New Transparency Tools

The OAIC also introduced a public interactive dashboard, enabling businesses and individuals to monitor the sources and frequency of data breaches over time.

Author’s Summary

Fewer breaches were reported in Australia in early 2025, but rising staff-related mistakes underscore that technology alone cannot ensure data privacy.

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Computer Weekly Computer Weekly — 2025-11-05

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