Australia could soon have a nationally consistent framework for cyber security careers after new research found confusing job definitions, costly certifications and unclear pathways are preventing workers from entering the profession. Read more: ia.acs.org.au/article/2026...

Australia moves to standardise cyber professions

New framework would align jobs and skills.

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Patients of one of Australia’s largest healthcare groups have had their medical records exposed in a security incident affecting multiple clinics. Read more: ia.acs.org.au/article/2026...

Australian GP network hit in data breach

Medical records stolen from operator of 60 clinics.

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Data centres will face new rules on energy use and artificial intelligence firms will be told to compensate Australian creatives under a federal government plan to legislate national standards for AI, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced in a significant policy pivot on Wednesday.

Govt to introduce AI, data centre laws in policy pivot

Experts seek detail on Albanese's plan for national standards.

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Underperforming staff at accounting software company Xero will be offered an immediate voluntary severance package instead of a performance improvement plan as the ASX-listed tech giant tries to keep pace with the AI revolution. Read more: ia.acs.org.au/article/2026...

Xero staff offered payout instead of performance plan

High performers to score better bonuses.

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Australia’s chief cyber-intelligence agency has called for critical infrastructure organisations to fortify their network devices amid an ongoing wave of Russian state-sponsored cyberattacks. Read more: ia.acs.org.au/article/2026...

Russia targets Australia's critical infrastructure

ASD warns routers are exposing key networks.

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Tax file numbers and superannuation details have been listed in an alleged data breach targeting Australian provider Accounting and Adviser Services Pty Ltd (AAS). Read more: ia.acs.org.au/article/2026...

Tax and superannuation data allegedly stolen in data breach

AAS named as latest victim in Australian hacking spree.

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Some of the world’s largest tech companies offered “gifts” worth nearly $500,000 to Australian public servants, a new report has found. Read more: ia.acs.org.au/article/2026...

Tech giants offered $500k in gifts to public servants

Defence tops list for accepted freebies.

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The Australian tech sector has strong foundations in place when it comes to gender diversity but still a lot of work to do to reach parity, according to a new report. Read more: ia.acs.org.au/article/2026...

Tech gender gap persists despite progress

Women still missing from key technical roles.

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Meta has backflipped on plans to let Instagram users take photos from public accounts to create AI-generated images without the owner's knowledge or consent, following a global backlash that erupted within days of the feature being announced. Read more: ia.acs.org.au/article/2026...

‘Missed the mark’: Meta backflips after privacy backlash

AI image generator Muse removes @-mention feature.

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Apple is suing OpenAI for allegedly encouraging former Apple employees to steal details of the company’s upcoming products and share them with OpenAI during job interviews. Read more: ia.acs.org.au/article/2026...

Apple sues OpenAI for allegedly stealing trade secrets

ChatGPT-maker accused of 'a pattern of theft'.

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National charity Lifeline Australia has confirmed it was the victim of a data breach after a threat actor posted alleged staff information on the dark web. Read more: ia.acs.org.au/article/2026...

Lifeline confirms data breach

Hacker targets 25 Australian organisations in five months.

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Failure to replace a 20-year-old server worth $30,000 could cost Telstra $30 million in fines, with executives set to face a Senate inquiry this week as the repercussions of last week’s outage – which blocked Triple Zero calls and disrupted payment and train services – continue to pile up.

Telstra outage blamed on known bug in obsolete server

Embattled telco faces Senate grilling and $30 million in fines.

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A much-anticipated digital version of Australia’s Incoming Passenger Card for international arrivals will be rolled out nationally over the next 18 months, the federal government announced on Sunday after the technology was trialled on numerous Qantas flights.

Australia's digital arrival cards to roll out nationally

Long-awaited new platform for international travellers.

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Australia’s privacy watchdog has been urged to investigate Meta’s new AI image generator, which will allow users to pull photos from other public accounts without the owner giving consent or even knowing about it. Read more: ia.acs.org.au/article/2026...

Privacy fears over Meta’s new AI image generation tool

Can manipulate images on anyone's public Instagram account.

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The Commonwealth Bank is planning to cut a further 176 technology and engineering jobs, according to the local finance union, which is accusing the nation’s largest bank of readvertising some lost roles under its Indian subsidiary. Read more: ia.acs.org.au/article/2026...

Commonwealth Bank cuts more tech jobs

Financial giant accused of offshoring additional roles to India.

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Recriminations are flying as the effects of Telstra’s major network outage continue to be felt across the country – with Victorian trains still cancelled, 639 Triple Zero calls that failed to connect, and Telstra still investigating a “secondary issue” affecting service restoration.

Telstra dealing with ‘secondary issue’ as outage effects continue

Experts warn Telstra isn’t the only one to blame for outages.

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There is "no evidence to date of broad labour market upheaval” in Australia caused by generative artificial intelligence, a first-of-its-kind government report has found, despite the technology being cited as a factor in some recent layoffs. Read more: ia.acs.org.au/article/2026...

AI not causing mass layoffs in Australia, says govt

But some jobs already seeing slower growth.

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The 18-month reign of founder Richard White as chair of ASX-listed WiseTech Global is over, with its billionaire founder describing ongoing media coverage of his personal life as an “unnecessary distraction”. Read more: ia.acs.org.au/article/2026...

WiseTech founder Richard White steps down as chair

Move comes amid personal life probes and brutal share rout.

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FEATURE: It’s one of the oldest workplace perks in the books, with the likes of Google and Facebook gaining prominence for hiring chefs and providing meals to their workers. And it’s one that’s still among the most effective, according to the research. Read more: ia.acs.org.au/article/2026...

Why tech firms are buying lunch

Free meals boost culture and loyalty.

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Australian GPS and driver licence data has been offered up for sale in an alleged data breach targeting fleet management and GPS tracking provider Teletrac Navman. Read more: ia.acs.org.au/article/2026...

Teletrac Navman GPS data advertised on hacking forum

Australian clients allegedly exposed.

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Just days after Parliament voted to ban subscription traps, online advice service JustAnswer has been ordered to pay $10 million in penalties and refund customers for systematically offering cheap introductory prices, then tricking them into expensive ongoing memberships.

JustAnswer fined $10m as subscription traps banned

Systematically misled consumers, Federal Court rules in ACCC victory.

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Australia’s largest telco Telstra has suffered a major service disruption that has stopped trains, blocked payments and left customers around the country without mobile phone service. Read more: ia.acs.org.au/article/2026...

Telstra suffers major mobile outage

No sign of cyberattack.

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The majority of Australian tech workers are interested in taking part in employee share schemes, according to a new report, as the federal government mulls an exemption for such programs from its controversial capital gains tax changes. Read more: ia.acs.org.au/article/2026...

Aussie tech workers want skin in game

Most open to employee share schemes.

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Authorities at Queensland’s City of Moreton Bay are eagerly awaiting the results of an upcoming trial of AI-powered traffic lights that they expect will dramatically cut red light wait times for motorists and better prioritise traffic for buses, cyclists and others.

AI-powered traffic lights to free up congested roads

Queensland trial to cut frustrating waits at red lights.

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Meta’s shift towards relying on users to report hateful conduct has not led to an increase in antisemitic content across its social media platforms, a company executive told Australia’s Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion on Monday. Read more: ia.acs.org.au/article/2026...

Meta, TikTok grilled at Antisemitism Royal Commission

Social media giants defend approaches to moderation.

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Software firm Microsoft will cut nearly 5,000 jobs – more than 2 per cent of its global workforce – as it admits that “AI is changing how work gets done”. Read more: ia.acs.org.au/article/2026...

Microsoft cuts 4,800 jobs, Australia in firing line

Tech giant says AI is changing jobs.

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Educational authorities are warning that the competitiveness of Australia’s universities has been “undermined” after an unexpectedly large visa application fee increase left foreign students paying hundreds of dollars more than they were just months ago. Read more: ia.acs.org.au/article/2026...

Student visas jump to $2,500

Australian universities fear losing global talent.

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The co-founder of an American investment firm is suing for $43 million after he was fired for disobeying his own return-to-office mandate. Read more: ia.acs.org.au/article/2026...

Co-founder sues after office mandate firing

Launches $43m lawsuit.

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Attendees of Melbourne’s most popular film festival will no longer need to provide a postal address when buying tickets after a recent data breach motivated the company to reduce its data collection practices. Read more: ia.acs.org.au/article/2026...

Film festival dumps address requirement after hack

Rethinks approach to data collection.

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Microsoft has agreed to pay Sydney Morning Herald and The Age-publisher Nine for the use of its news content in Copilot AI search results. Read more: ia.acs.org.au/article/2026...

Microsoft to pay for use of news in AI searches

Will pay Nine to use its newspapers in Copilot results.

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