Report a data breach

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href="https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/notifiable-data-breaches/about-the-notifiable-data-breaches-scheme"> About the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme </a> </li> <li class="lhs-nav__level-3-link "> <a href="https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/notifiable-data-breaches/when-to-report-a-data-breach"> When to report a data breach </a> </li> <li class="lhs-nav__level-3-link current"> <a href="https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/notifiable-data-breaches/report-a-data-breach"> Report a data breach </a> </li> <li class="lhs-nav__level-3-link has-children"> <div class="lhs-nav__level-3-accordion"> <a href="https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/notifiable-data-breaches/notifiable-data-breaches-publications"> Notifiable data breaches publications </a> <button class="lhs-nav__level-3-toggle" aria-expanded="false" aria-label="Expand Level 3 submenu: Notifiable data breaches publications"> <img src="https://www.oaic.gov.au/__data/assets/git_bridge/0012/12063/mysource_files/icon-plus.svg" class="icon-plus" aria-hidden="true" /> <img src="https://www.oaic.gov.au/__data/assets/git_bridge/0012/12063/mysource_files/icon-minus.svg" class="icon-minus" aria-hidden="true" /> </button> </div> <ul class="lhs-nav__level-4"> <li class="lhs-nav__level-4-link"> <a href="https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/notifiable-data-breaches/notifiable-data-breaches-publications/notifiable-data-breaches-report-january-to-june-2024" class=""> Notifiable Data Breaches Report: January to June 2024 </a> </li> <li class="lhs-nav__level-4-link"> <a href="https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/notifiable-data-breaches/notifiable-data-breaches-publications/notifiable-data-breaches-report-july-to-december-2023" class=""> Notifiable Data Breaches Report: July to December 2023 </a> </li> <li class="lhs-nav__level-4-link"> <a href="https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/notifiable-data-breaches/notifiable-data-breaches-publications/notifiable-data-breaches-report-january-to-june-2023" class=""> Notifiable Data Breaches Report: January to June 2023 </a> </li> <li class="lhs-nav__level-4-link"> <a href="https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/notifiable-data-breaches/notifiable-data-breaches-publications/notifiable-data-breaches-report-july-to-december-2022" class=""> Notifiable Data Breaches Report: July to December 2022 </a> </li> <li class="lhs-nav__level-4-link"> <a href="https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/notifiable-data-breaches/notifiable-data-breaches-publications/notifiable-data-breaches-report-january-to-june-2022" class=""> Notifiable Data Breaches Report: January to June 2022 </a> </li> <li class="lhs-nav__level-4-link"> <a href="https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/notifiable-data-breaches/notifiable-data-breaches-publications/notifiable-data-breaches-report-july-to-december-2021" class=""> Notifiable Data Breaches Report: July to December 2021 </a> </li> <li class="lhs-nav__level-4-link"> <a href="https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/notifiable-data-breaches/notifiable-data-breaches-publications/notifiable-data-breaches-report-januaryjune-2021" class=""> Notifiable Data Breaches Report: January–June 2021 </a> </li> <li class="lhs-nav__level-4-link"> <a href="https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/notifiable-data-breaches/notifiable-data-breaches-publications/notifiable-data-breaches-report-julydecember-2020" class=""> Notifiable Data Breaches Report: July–December 2020 </a> </li> <li class="lhs-nav__level-4-link"> <a href="https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/notifiable-data-breaches/notifiable-data-breaches-publications/notifiable-data-breaches-report-januaryjune-2020" class=""> Notifiable Data Breaches Report: January–June 2020 </a> </li> <li class="lhs-nav__level-4-link"> <a href="https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/notifiable-data-breaches/notifiable-data-breaches-publications/notifiable-data-breaches-report-julydecember-2019" class=""> Notifiable Data Breaches Report: July–December 2019 </a> </li> <li class="lhs-nav__level-4-link"> <a href="https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/notifiable-data-breaches/notifiable-data-breaches-publications/notifiable-data-breaches-report-1-april-to-30-june-2019" class=""> Notifiable Data Breaches Report: 1 April to 30 June 2019 </a> </li> <li class="lhs-nav__level-4-link"> <a href="https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/notifiable-data-breaches/notifiable-data-breaches-publications/notifiable-data-breaches-report-1-january-to-31-march-2019" class=""> Notifiable Data Breaches Report: 1 January to 31 March 2019 </a> </li> <li class="lhs-nav__level-4-link"> <a href="https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/notifiable-data-breaches/notifiable-data-breaches-publications/notifiable-data-breaches-statistics-report-1-october-to-31-december-2018" class=""> Notifiable Data Breaches Statistics Report: 1 October to 31 December 2018 </a> </li> <li class="lhs-nav__level-4-link"> <a href="https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/notifiable-data-breaches/notifiable-data-breaches-publications/notifiable-data-breaches-statistics-report-1-july-to-30-september-2018" class=""> Notifiable Data Breaches Statistics Report: 1 July to 30 September 2018 </a> </li> <li class="lhs-nav__level-4-link"> <a href="https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/notifiable-data-breaches/notifiable-data-breaches-publications/notifiable-data-breaches-statistics-report-1-april-to-30-june-2018" class=""> Notifiable Data Breaches Statistics Report: 1 April to 30 June 2018 </a> </li> <li class="lhs-nav__level-4-link"> <a href="https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/notifiable-data-breaches/notifiable-data-breaches-publications/notifiable-data-breaches-statistics-report-1-january-to-31-march-2018" class=""> Notifiable Data Breaches Statistics Report: 1 January to 31 March 2018 </a> </li> <li class="lhs-nav__level-4-link"> <a href="https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/notifiable-data-breaches/notifiable-data-breaches-publications/notifiable-data-breaches-scheme-12-month-insights-report" class=""> Notifiable Data Breaches scheme 12-month insights report </a> </li> </ul> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> <div class="middle-wrapper">  <div id="main-content-area" class="page-content"> <section class="banner-grey-newsroom__wrapper"> <div class="banner-grey-newsroom__content"> <h1 class="banner-grey-newsroom__title">Report a data breach</h1> </div> </section>  <script> if(document.querySelector('.banner-grey-newsroom__wrapper .banner-grey-newsroom__content')) { document.querySelector('.breadcrumb__wrapper').insertAdjacentElement('afterend',document.querySelector('.banner-grey-newsroom__wrapper .banner-grey-newsroom__content').closest(' .banner-grey-newsroom__wrapper')) } </script> <div class="gov-numbered-paragraphs" id="component_21113"> <div class="table-of-contents ContentPage"><div class="row"><div class="main-region col--sm-12 col--md-6 push--md-2 body-content "><div class="small update-date readable"></div></div></div><div><div id="page-content"><p>When an organisation or agency the<em> <a href="https://www.oaic.gov.au/_old/privacy/the-privacy-act/rights-and-responsibilities#WhoHasResponsibilitiesUnderPrivacyAct">Privacy Act 1988</a></em><a href="https://www.oaic.gov.au/_old/privacy/the-privacy-act/rights-and-responsibilities#WhoHasResponsibilitiesUnderPrivacyAct"> covers</a> has reasonable grounds to believe an eligible data breach has occurred, they must promptly notify any individual at risk of serious harm. They must also notify us.</p><p>An eligible data breach occurs when the following criteria are met:</p><ul><li>There is unauthorised access to or disclosure of <a href="https://www.oaic.gov.au/_old/privacy/your-privacy-rights/your-personal-information/what-is-personal-information">personal information</a> held by an organisation or agency (or information is lost in circumstances where unauthorised access or disclosure is likely to occur).</li><li>This is likely to result in serious harm to any of the individuals to whom the information relates.</li><li>The organisation or agency has been unable to prevent the likely risk of serious harm with remedial action.</li></ul><div><p class="callout">If you want to notify us about a data breach involving your own personal information, please <a href="https://www.oaic.gov.au/_old/privacy/privacy-complaints">make a privacy complaint</a>.</p></div><h2>What your notification must include</h2><p>When you notify us and any affected individuals include:</p><ul><li>your organisation or agency’s name and contact details</li><li>a description of the data breach</li><li>the kinds of information involved</li><li>recommendations about the steps individuals should take in response to the data breach.</li></ul><p>For more information on notifications, see <a href="https://www.oaic.gov.au/_old/privacy/guidance-and-advice/data-breach-preparation-and-response">Data Breach Preparation and Response</a>.</p><h3>Complete our online form</h3><p>To notify us of a data breach, you should use our online <a href="https://webform.oaic.gov.au/prod?entitytype=DBN&layoutcode=DataBreachWF" target="_blank">Notifiable Data Breach form</a>. To see the type of information we need, <a href="https://www.oaic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/2240/oaic-ndb-form-for-training-purposes-only.pdf">view this read only training version</a>.</p><p>The more information you tell us about the circumstances of the data breach, what you’ve done to contain the data breach and any remedial action you’ve taken, will help us respond to your notification. Remember to attach a copy of your template notification to affected individuals when completing our online Notifiable Data Breach form.</p></div></div></div> </div> <section class="background--grey"> <div class="feature-cards__wrapper"> <h2 class="feature-cards__main-heading">Related pages</h2> <div class="feature-cards__tile">  <a href="https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/privacy-guidance-for-organisations-and-government-agencies/preventing-preparing-for-and-responding-to-data-breaches/data-breach-preparation-and-response" class="feature-cards__tile-links" data-order="1"> <h3 class="feature-cards__heading">Data breach preparation and response</h3> <p class="feature-cards__text">Guide to managing a data breach under the Privacy Act</p> <div class="feature-cards__call-to-action"> <span class="feature-cards__arrow"> <img src="https://www.oaic.gov.au/__data/assets/file/0020/12548/arrow.svg" alt="" class="icon" aria-hidden="true"> </span> </div> </a> <a href="https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/notifiable-data-breaches/about-the-notifiable-data-breaches-scheme" class="feature-cards__tile-links" data-order="2"> <h3 class="feature-cards__heading">About the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme</h3> <p class="feature-cards__text">Who must be notified when an eligible data breach occurs</p> <div class="feature-cards__call-to-action"> <span class="feature-cards__arrow"> <img src="https://www.oaic.gov.au/__data/assets/file/0020/12548/arrow.svg" alt="" class="icon" aria-hidden="true"> </span> </div> </a> </div> </div> </section> </div>  </div> </div>  <div class="feedback"> <form id="form_email_240614" enctype="multipart/form-data" action="https://www.oaic.gov.au/_design/includes/feedback-form" method="post" ><input type="hidden" name="SQ_FORM_240614_PAGE" value="1" class="sq-form-field" id="SQ_FORM_240614_PAGE" /><input type="hidden" name="form_email_240614_referral_url" value="" /> <input type="hidden" name="q240616:q4" value="21111"> <input 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