New Privacy Commissioner

To enhance the operation of the Office of the Information Commissioner (OAIC), the Federal Government has appointed standalone Privacy and Freedom of Information (FOI) Commissioners.

Ms Carly Kind commenced as the new Privacy Commissioner on 26 February 2024.

The University congratulates Ms Kind on her appointment and welcomes the increased capacity of the OAIC to oversee privacy compliance and best practice.

Data breaches

The release of the OAIC Notifiable Data Breaches Report 2023 has highlighted key issues for organisations to consider when handling suspected data breaches.

The report reminds us that breaches must be taken seriously and acted on in a timely manner.

Suspected data breaches must be reported to the ANU Privacy Officer immediately.

In the event of a serious data breach, the ANU Privacy Officer will co-ordinate the University’s response, consistent with the ANU Data Breach Response Plan Procedure.

What to do if you suspect a data breach

1.       Contact the ANU Privacy Office at privacy@anu.edu.au

2.       Provide the Privacy Office with the necessary information to assess the suspected data breach.

3.      Implement the actions identified by the Privacy Office to mitigate any data breach and prevent further breaches.

Amendments to the Privacy Act

The Attorney-General’s Department continues to progress the proposed amendments to the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).

The ANU Privacy Office participated in consultation in 2021 and 2023 and the University was supportive of the recommendations in the Privacy Act Review Report.

It is expected that the amendments will be tabled in Parliament in Q3, 2024, at which time, the Privacy Office will communicate with the University Executive, Colleges and Service Divisions about the impact of the final amendments.

Updates will also be shared on the Privacy@ANU SharePoint site, and staff are invited to join to receive timely updates on this and other privacy issues.

Privacy training

A range of resources are available to staff to support good privacy practice, including:

Online training module
All staff are required to complete the ANU Privacy Awareness Training module in Pulse. This will provide staff with an overview of privacy legislation and how privacy can be implemented into their work. 

Training on record keeping, FOI and privacy
This session introduces ANU staff to the University’s data governance, principles of good records management, Freedom of Information (FOI), and privacy. Attendees will gain an understanding how these principles are relevant to their work and be introduced to the Electronic Records Management System (ERMS). ANU staff should enrol via the training catalogue in HORUS.

Tailored privacy workshops
The ANU Privacy Office is available to provide tailored workshops to Schools, Colleges and business units on specific privacy practices or issues. This can be helpful when implementing a new process or system that will handle personal information.

To arrange a tailored workshop, please contact the Senior Privacy Officer at privacy@anu.edu.au.

If there is a topic you would like more information on, please do not hesitate to contact the Privacy Office.

Looking for more Privacy Advice?

For assistance with any privacy questions please visit the ANU Privacy website or reach out to the ANU Privacy team. They are here to support any privacy needs and can provide a customised information session for your local area.