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Practical tips for protecting information and systems

Cyber incidents are increasing in frequency across all sectors including charities and not-for-profits. As a result, the Australian Signals Directorate’s Australian Cyber Security Centre is encouraging charities and not-for-profit organisations to protect their information and systems. The steps that these organisations can take are the same steps that all types of organisations can take – …
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Climate reporting for government and big business

Draft legislation on mandatory climate related disclosures closed for comment on 1 March 2024. Proposed mandatory climate related disclosure laws are likely to be introduced for large businesses, which will include disclosure obligations around climate related financial risks, opportunities, plans and strategies.

Charity registration – necessitous circumstances

To be registered as a charity, an organisation must have a charitable purpose or purposes. Charitable purpose has a legal definition, which is found in the Charities Act 2013 (Cth), and there are twelve different charitable purposes. In January 2024, the ACNC published the key factors it will consider in determining an organisation’s eligibility to …
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Fair Work amendments: independent contractor or employee?

In February 2024, the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Closing Loopholes No. 2) Act 2024 (the Act) re-introduced the “multifactorial” test for whether a worker is legally considered to be an independent contractor or an employee. That is, the Act requires an assessment of all of the circumstances of each work arrangement to be made in …
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OAIC Notifiable Data Breaches Report: Addressing third-party cyber risks 

The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner’s (OAIC) recently released its latest notifiable data breaches report for July to December 2023, highlighting the continued risks of data breaches faced by organisations and third-parties. This is underscored by the notable increase in the volume of reported data breaches, increasing 19% since the previous reporting period.

The Right to Disconnect

In a bid to address the growing concerns of work-life balance and the intrusion of work into personal time, the right to disconnect amendment to the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) (the Act) was passed by the House of Representatives on 12 February 2024.  

Hearing Testing Requirements under WHS Regulations

The model Work Health and Safety Regulations introduced new requirements for audiometric testing which commenced on from 1 January 2024. The relevant provisions are mirrored in all jurisdictions, except for Western Australia and Queensland, which have not adopted the relevant testing requirements as included in the Model Work Health and Safety Regulations.

How your organisation can use AI systems securely

The Australian Cyber Security Centre recently released a publication, in collaboration with international partners, to provide guidance for organisations on how to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems securely, including identifying key risks and how to mitigate them.