The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) reported data breaches in the country jumped in the first half of 2024 to reach the highest six-month figure for three-and-a-half years.

The number of incidents reported to it for the period rose 28.5 per cent year-on-year to 527.

Similar to previous reports, malicious and criminal attacks were the main source of breaches (67 per cent), with 57 per cent of those cybersecurity incidents.

Australian privacy commissioner Carly Kind stated: “Almost every day, my office is notified of data breaches where Australians are at likely risk of serious harm. This harm can range from an increase in scams and the risk of identity theft to emotional distress and even physical harm.”

Kind noted privacy and security measures are not keeping up with the threats facing Australians.

The report comes after the government introduced an amendment bill designed to strengthen the OAIC’s enforcement toolkit, including an enhanced civil penalty regime and infringement notice powers.

While the OAIC welcomed the bill, Kind said it would like to see all organisations be required to build the highest levels of security into their operations to protect citizens’ “personal information to the maximum extent possible”.