Marcus Butler
16 May 2016: University of Canberra cybercrime expert Nigel Phair is reminding Australians to show proper care and diligence with their online profile and data, like credit card details, during Privacy Awareness Week (15-21 May).
Mr Phair, director of the Centre for Internet Safety at the University of Canberra, said the rapid changes in technology pose a continual risk to consumer privacy.
“We only have to look at the last two or three years to see the growth of contactless payments, and increasing use of online transactions,” Mr Phair said.
"Chances are we all have a digital footprint, and many of us are probably not really aware of how large that footprint is.
“It’s created or increased each time we do anything online, from social media interactions, internet searches, browsing the web, buying or selling online and other online activity.”
Mr Phair pointed to recent Federal Government legislation on metadata retention, as an example of the kind of information we leave behind online.
“The difficulty we saw in the Government explaining metadata, is typical of the average person’s understanding, and that’s concerning,” he said.
“While metadata is generated and collected behind the scenes online, we are also quite prone to freely sharing information with businesses anyway.
“Customer loyalty programs are generating more information about customers than businesses know what to do with, but they know that information is valuable.”
Mr Phair said businesses still need to adhere to Australia’s privacy legislation regarding customer information.
"Customers are entitled to know what their data is being used for. Product personalisation which is built around gathered customer data should be made clear, so the public can make informed choices about what happens with their data.
“I would recommend Australians treat their personal details the same way they do their credit card number.
“We should be certain who we’re giving it to, why we’re handing it over, and that the people on the other end are playing by the rules with what they do with it,” he warned.
