Big Data, Big Responsibilities: Guide to Privacy and Data Security Obligations for Australian Business

ebook available now on Kindle

Privacy law experts Nick Abrahams and Jim Lennon have launched Big Data, Big Responsibilities: Guide to Privacy and Data Security Obligations for Australian Business, a new e-book that offers an essential summary of Australian privacy laws, including recent mandatory data breach notification obligations under privacy laws.

This practical book includes an explanation of the main cyber security and privacy regulations, compliance checklists, and an analysis of the differences between the Australian Privacy Principles and the GDPR (or the General Data Protection Regulation in the EU). 

It also has a helpful guide to what organisations can do if they are the subject of a ransomware attack. Cyber security is a critical issue as, according to the cyber-security company, Norton, one in four Australian small businesses have fallen victim to cyber crime. This is increasingly important as Norton have also found that one in ten business operators in Australia have been affected by a ransomware attack.

According to the OAIC, the health and financial sectors are disproportionately targeted for data breaches. From 1 July to 30 September this year, 45 per cent of data breaches affected financial information, and 35 per cent affected identity information such as passports and driver’s licences.

The proliferation of data breaches around the world in recent years has led many countries to strengthen their mandatory data breach notification laws. Australia updated the Privacy Act 1988 in February, bringing in tough new penalties for relevant organisations and individuals that fail to properly notify users when their personal data has been accessed unlawfully.

The authors of the book are Nick Abrahams, the firm’s global head of the technology and innovation, and Jim Lennon, special counsel in the firm’s technology and privacy law team. Both are based in Sydney.

“This book provides a very useful summary of the privacy and cyber issues that all of us involved in the oversight and management of Australian companies need to consider."
– David Gonski, Chairman, Australia and New Zealand Banking Group

“A helpful resource for anyone wanting to know more about cyber risks for Australian organisations."
– Gordon Cairns, Chairman of Origin Energy & Woolworths Group

“For organisations today, whether large or small, there is no greater threat to corporate governance & reputation than cyber mismanagement. This book outlines some of these looming threats but also provides valuable insights and strategies about how to identify and manage these risks to corporate advantage."
– Julie Inman-Grant, Australian eSafety Commissioner