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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Business
Sarah Martin and Paul Karp

Government flags new cybersecurity laws and increase in fines after Optus breach

Home affairs minister Clare O’Neil told parliament on Monday that in other jurisdictions a data breach of this size would ‘result in fines amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars’.
Home affairs minister Clare O’Neil says government will look at the cybersecurity requirements in place for large telecommunications providers to see if they are fit for purpose. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

The Albanese government will pursue “very substantial” reforms in the wake of the massive Optus data breach, including increasing penalties under the Privacy Act that are currently capped at $2.2m.

As the government flags it will push ahead with legislative changes, hundreds of public servants from the Australian Signals Directorate, the Australian Cyber Security Centre and the Australian federal police were deployed to help manage the fallout from the data breach, with the government also working with banks to prevent further fraud.

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