1 in 3 Australians exposed to data breach in past year

Australians are now many times more likely to be the victim of a data breach than a physical crime like a burglary or assault, according to new research from the Australian National University.

The new analysis from the university’s Centre for Social Research and Methods found that one in three Australian adults responding to a survey reported having been exposed to a data breach in the last 12 months.

By comparison, only 11.2% of Australians have been the victim of serious physical crimes like burglary or assault in the last five years.

The survey found the people most likely to fall victim to data breaches are Australians aged 25 to 34, with 41.5% of this cohort reporting being exposed.

In light of high-profile recent data breaches such as the attacks on Optus and Medibank, it should come as no surprise that trust in institutions to protect personal data has declined in the last two months.

The survey also found that nearly all Australian adults think companies that fail to adequately protect consumer data should face significant sanctions.

Meanwhile, more than nine in 10 respondents think that governments should intervene, by regulating new technologies (92.8%) as well as companies’ use of personal data (90.6%).

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