Our latest insights

The Federal Court’s $5.8M ACL decision signals a new era for privacy, cybersecurity, and governance in Australia. It reinforces that privacy and cyber obligations start Day 1 of any acquisition, governance failures will be scrutinised, and accountability cannot be outsourced. Boards must ensure robust oversight, deep cyber due diligence, and forensic incident response. With OAIC escalating regulatory enforcement, organisations face heightened legal, financial, and reputational risks.

As the CPS 234 Information Security tripartite review program nears its end in June 2024, APRA-regulated entities face a critical moment. The upcoming CPS 230 Operational Risk Management implementation is closely linked to CPS 234, requiring preparation from regulated entities and service providers.

The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) released an update to the E8MM in November 2023 with several changes to the framework of controls previously recommended. These changes will require organisations who benchmark themselves against the E8 to reassess their existing cybersecurity strategies and control practices to determine if they remain in alignment with the new requirements.

In a complex operating environment, the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) is encouraging regulated entities to prioritise quality data as a valuable asset. APRA's growing emphasis on data risk management, evident in regulatory guidance such as CPG 235, CPS 234, and CPS 230, underscores the vital role of quality data for entities under its regulation. Despite progress revealed in APRA's 100 Critical Risk Data Elements Pilot study, a significant gap persists between current and optimal data risk management practices, with potential consequences including reputational damage and financial loss.

June 30 is fast approaching, and with it comes tax scammers, the escalating cost of living means their activity is on the rise, we outline some scams for you to be aware of.

You may not know it, but your privacy related risk exposure changed overnight. Now more than ever, businesses cannot afford to be complacent about privacy compliance.

The Security of Critical Infrastructure Risk Management Program Rules (CIRMP) commenced on 17 February 2023 and was signed off by The Minister for Home Affairs the Hon Clare O’Neil MP (the Minister). This marks the beginning of the six-month transition period for responsible entities to adopt a written CIRMP.

The Australian Federal Government has passed major changes to the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) in the form of the Privacy Legislation Amendment (Enforcement and Other Measures) Bill 2022. These changes signal a call to action for organisations to review their privacy, security, and information handling practices.

With recent news of significant data breaches at major corporations, there are a number of questions being asked from Boardrooms to kitchen tables all across Australia. Some common questions include, what went wrong? Are we at risk? And how can we protect ourselves from similar events in the future?

One of the most common ways of managing operational risk is through a system of effective internal controls. Control failures however can lead to events as varied as mis-selling, data breaches and underpayments – as such in APRA's Prudential Standard CPS 230 they have strengthened the focus on operational risk management. In this second series of our CPS 230 technical guides we provide an overview of some necessary elements to achieve strong operational risk management and why it is the foundation of operational resilience.

As we watch the ramifications of the recent widespread data breach continue to play out in the media and on the floor of Federal Parliament, I keep reflecting on the requirements of APRA Prudential Standards CPS 234: Information Security and the draft Prudential Standard CPS 230: Operational Risk Management. If ever there was any doubt in the minds of Boards or Management as to why the focus on cyber security and operational resilience, then the current situation brings this into stark focus.

APRA has released draft Prudential Standard CPS 230 Operational Risk Management for comment. CPS 230 will replace CPS 231: Outsourcing and CPS 232: Business Continuity, and the sector specific standards HPS 231, SPS 231 and SPS 232. What is operational resilience? Operational risk management analyses and defines risks associated with people, processes, and systems. Operational resilience defines the approach to managing operational risks.