Kmart Australia breached privacy laws by using facial recognition in stores without consent, with the Privacy Commissioner ruling it disproportionate, ineffective, and unnecessary under the Privacy Act.

The advisory highlights that malicious actors are using social engineering and phishing to steal credentials and compromise software supply chains.

The Federal Court has ordered Optus to pay a $100 million penalty for engaging in unconscionable conduct when selling mobile phones and contracts to over 400 Australians between August 2019 and July 2023.

A record A$240 million ($160 million) fine, the largest ever sought by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) against a single entity, for misconduct that affected both the federal government and nearly 65,000 customers.

Cyber attack on a Sydney real estate agency has resulted in a data breach where hackers are threatening to leak sensitive information belonging to landlords, tenants, and agents. 

The Gateway Network Governance Body ran Operation Honey Bee II, a cyber exercise for Australia’s $4.1 trillion superannuation sector. It tested industry-wide response, communication, and resilience against large-scale cyber threats.

Australia’s major banks are testing their software with facial-age tools to help enforce the upcoming social media ban for under-16s, allowing platforms to verify users’ ages through bank data or age estimation technology.

NSW public school students in Years 5 to 12 will soon have access to a state-of-the-art generative AI application, NSWEduChat, designed to enhance learning and critical thinking by guiding students with open-ended questions rather than providing direct answers.