Home Affairs Data Breach

Home affairs data breach through the SkillsSelect platform may have exposed data of 700,000 migrants

Both partial names and outcomes of applications were released in a data breach impacting 774,000 applicants. The SkillsSelect platform enables skilled workers and businesspeople to express an interest in migrating to Australia. These expressions of interest are stored for 2 years and allow them to receive invitations for skilled work visas. The public database advertised on the home affairs website enabled users to identify applicants who had completed expressions of interest by name. The home affairs department and employment department stated that the platform was “currently undergoing maintenance”

This breach is particularly concerning in light of the new COVIDSafe app and the conversations around potential privacy breaches this new app may give rise to.