COVID-19 | Preparing for COVID-Normal? Five things you can do now to reduce your cyber security risk

The recent pandemic has changed the way a lot of us work and communicate with each other. In particular, it has accelerated business digital transformations such as working from home, and highlighted the increasing prevalence of data breaches. Data breaches affect us all and can cost our business millions. As we steadily emerge from stringent […]

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Data protection and the human error curse: Part 2 | How CEOs and Directors can avoid the wrath of customers and the Privacy Commissioner

In Part 2 of our Data protection series, Kelly Marshall looks at six key things CEOs and Directors can do now to minimise data breach compliance and reputational risk. Our previous article Data protection and the human error curse: Part 1 | Why CEOs and Directors need to be concerned looked at why it is so […]

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Webinar | Public sector whistle blowing: vaccine or epidemic?

Public sector whistleblowing and associated corruption complaints are the new normal, exposing both criminal behaviour and petty grievances to the jurisdiction of anti-corruption bodies with extraordinary powers. This session provides a practical road map for anti-corruption investigations from inception to conclusion, including necessary actions following a complaint, assessment of complaints, investigative powers, what constitutes a […]

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Webinar | Picking winners – state support for target businesses

Targeted government support for industry development, such as start-ups and investment attraction hubs, is part of a new age of economic intervention in an increasingly competitive world. But governments have traditionally struggled to understand private sector needs and deliver outcomes aligning social objectives with those needs whilst discharging their public interest obligations. This session will […]

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COVID-19 | Disaster Profiteering Outlawed (for now)

The Australian Government has outlawed price gouging for some essential goods until 18 June 2020 under a new Biosecurity law.  Here is what you need to know. The Australian Government has passed a new determination to prohibit price gouging for certain “essential” goods (Biosecurity (Human Biosecurity Emergency) (Human Coronavirus with Pandemic Potential) (Essential Goods) Determination 2020 (Cth)). […]

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CLOUD on the horizon

Australia and the United States (US) have recently entered into negotiations for a bilateral agreement that would enable law enforcement agencies in each country to more easily obtain access to electronic information held by communications service providers (CSPs) in the other country.[1] Electronic communications services, including social media, are increasingly being used to facilitate illegal […]

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Encryption access for government agencies

New Commonwealth laws, which can also be used by State police forces in some cases, allow law enforcement agencies greater potential access to encrypted information, highlighting both security and privacy considerations. As we come to rely more and more on technology, businesses and individuals need to be able to trust the security and privacy of […]

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Amendments to Commonwealth Whistleblower Protections

Changes to federal laws will significantly clarify and enhance whistleblower protections as well as require large companies to have formal whistleblower policies. The Federal Parliament recently passed the Treasury Laws Amendment (Enhancing Whistleblower Protections) Bill 2018 and it will now become law. The new laws primarily amend the current whistleblower protections found in the Corporations […]

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IP Safe Harbour Provisions removed from Competition and Consumer Law

On 14 February 2019 after some debate about amendments the Senate passed the bill to remove the intellectual property safe harbour provisions from the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth) (CCA). All intellectual property arrangements, such as licensing agreements and intellectual property assignments are now subject to the anti-competitive conduct restrictions in the CCA, including the sections in the […]

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Data protection and the human error curse: Part 1 | Why CEOs and Directors need to be concerned

Something as simple as inadvertently sending a customer’s personal information to another person could cost your company dearly – lost earnings, lost customers, lost business partners, damage to reputation and increased compliance costs. If your company is governed by the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), is a credit provider, deals with personal or health information or […]

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Zombie mark has no bite

Zombie marks may not be as ‘alive’ as previously thought. Partner Michael Owens and Associate Celeste Bennett point out how a 2017 trade mark decision may prevent a zombie trade mark apocalypse.   Zombie marks aren’t the bites from monsters you see in the likes of Resident Evil and The Walking Dead. In the legal […]

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Changes in the pipeline for data protection in Queensland

2018 has been a big year in data. Spurred on by recent well publicised global data breaches such as the Cambridge Analytica‘s data harvesting of Facebook in the lead up to the 2016 US presidential elections), this year has seen the introduction of ground-breaking new data laws both in Australia and internationally. This article explores […]

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