Ai Group welcomed the opportunity to make a submission to the consultation on the Discussion Paper, National Data Security Action Plan, by the Department of the Home Affairs. We also appreciated the opportunity to attend the townhall briefing held by the Department in May. 

Overall, industry recognises the importance of protecting the privacy, safety and security of the Australian community, both in the physical and online realm. Indeed, Ai Group works closely with governments and their bodies in a diverse range of areas.

We support a data stewardship regime that benefits both customers and businesses, irrespective of the specific regime. The regulatory environment should also be conducive to the promotion of digital investment, innovation and competition that benefits industry and the community in the long term. In principle, we therefore support the intention behind the Discussion Paper to ultimately protect data.

For the purposes of this consultation, our submission provides preliminary comments regarding regulatory matters related to data security. As this consultation progresses, we look forward to further development and understanding of material issues and underlying causes (if any), followed by an exploration and assessment of potential options to address these including regulatory impact and cost benefits assessment.