Quote Of The Year

Timeless Quotes - Sadly The Late Paul Shetler - "Its not Your Health Record it's a Government Record Of Your Health Information"

or

H. L. Mencken - "For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong."

Tuesday, December 08, 2020

Commentators and Journalists Weigh In On Digital Health And Related Privacy, Safety And Security Matters. Lots Of Interesting Perspectives - December 08, 2020.

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This weekly blog is to explore the news around the larger issues around Digital Health, data security, data privacy, AI / ML. technology, social media and related matters.

I will also try to highlight ADHA Propaganda when I come upon it.

Just so we keep count, the latest Notes from the ADHA Board were dated 6 December, 2018 and we have seen none since!

It is worth pointing out that it was only in last little while ( beginning end July 2020 ) the ADHA took down the notification regarding the most recent minutes notification. Embarrassed I guess – as they should be! I wonder will the new CEO make a difference?

The new CEO has been in place 9+ weeks – no new minutes obvious yet, or any other major improvements! - unless a new website is seen as progress (minute free of course!)

Note: Appearance here is not to suggest I see any credibility or value in what follows. I will leave it to the reader to decide what is worthwhile and what is not! The point is to let people know what is being said / published that I have come upon.

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https://www.smh.com.au/national/victoria/planned-database-of-victorians-health-information-trashes-privacy-20201204-p56kpc.html

Planned database of Victorians' health information 'trashes privacy'

By Henrietta Cook

December 5, 2020 — 11.30pm

The private medical information of every Victorian who has used public hospitals and health services will be collected by the Health Department, stored on a database and accessed by clinicians under a controversial state government plan.

The proposal, which was quietly unveiled in September, has attracted criticism from legal, consumer and public health groups because patients can’t opt out.

The Department of Health and Human Services has also flagged expanding the initiative — known as the clinical information sharing or CIS solution — to include patient details from private hospitals, GPs, mental health systems and ambulance services.

Danny Vadasz, chief executive of the Health Issues Centre consumer advocacy group, said it was worrying that patients were unable to consent to the collection of their data.

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https://www.smh.com.au/technology/privacy-is-making-a-comeback-nine-in-10-worried-about-personal-data-online-20201205-p56kv0.html

'Privacy is making a comeback': Nine in 10 worried about personal data online

By Caitlin Fitzsimmons

December 6, 2020 — 12.00am

New research suggests an overwhelming number of Australians are anxious about their privacy online as the COVID-19 pandemic prompted increased use of QR codes, e-shopping, social media and video conferencing.

The Consumer Policy Research Centre research shows 94 per cent of Australian consumers surveyed are uncomfortable with how their personal information is shared online and 88 per cent do not have a clear understanding of what is involved.

The findings come a decade after Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg declared "privacy is no longer the social norm". However, Drew MacRae, policy and advocacy officer at the Financial Rights Legal Centre, said consumers' expectations had shifted.

"Privacy is making a comeback," he said. "People are slowly realising what is happening out there in the market and discovering that, when they click on the button to agree to some service, some app, or some website, there seems to be all this stuff happening to that data, and people are starting to see the results of it."

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https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/professional/government-to-push-ahead-with-mandatory-vaccinatio

Government to push ahead with mandatory vaccination reporting Bill

Should the changes pass, providers will face a $6660 penalty for not reporting newly administered vaccines to the Australian Immunisation Register.

Matt Woodley

4 December, 2020

The proposed amendment, tabled in Parliament earlier this week by Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt, would compel GPs and other vaccine providers to report all newly administered vaccines to the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR).
 
Currently, the recording of vaccinations on the AIR is encouraged, rather than mandatory, which has resulted in vast under-reporting from some sectors and been identified as an area of ‘great concern’ by the RACGP.
 
A public submission signed by former Acting RACGP President Associate Professor Ayman Shenouda was broadly supportive of the amendments, but did express concerns regarding punitive compliance measures, such as fines, aimed at increasing reporting rates.
 
‘There are many reasons which may impact on a GP’s ability to report a vaccine to [the] AIR; temporary technological failure or limitations, lack of consent from the patient, or workforce shortages,’ Associate Professor Shenouda wrote.
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https://www.zdnet.com/article/intelligence-review-recommends-new-electronic-surveillance-act-for-australia/

Intelligence review recommends new electronic surveillance Act for Australia

It would repeal the existing parts of three Acts to form a new one that covers the use of computer access and surveillance devices powers.

By Asha Barbaschow | December 4, 2020 -- 06:46 GMT (17:46 AEDT) | Topic: Security

A review into Australia's intelligence community has recommended comprehensive reform of electronic surveillance laws, one that would repeal existing powers and combine them to avoid duplication, contradictory definitions, and any further ad hoc amendments to the existing three Acts.

Electronic surveillance powers enable agencies to use electronic or technical means, which would otherwise be unlawful, to covertly listen to a person's conversations, access a person's electronic data, observe certain aspects of a person's behaviour, and track a person's movements. Currently, these powers are contained within the Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act 1979 (TIA Act), the Surveillance Devices Act 2004 (SD Act), and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Act 1979 (ASIO Act).

Parts of the Telecommunications Act 1997 and the Criminal Code Act 1995 are also directly relevant when considering these powers.

Each Act requires agencies to meet thresholds before accessing these powers and requires external authorities, such as judges, Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) members, or the Attorney-General as is the case of ASIO, to approve the use of powers.

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https://www.ausdoc.com.au/news/gp-tips-how-avoid-escript-privacy-breaches

GP tips on how to avoid e-script privacy breaches

Dr Daniel Byrne from SA, who has been e-prescribing since July, has some words of wisdom for other GPs

4th December 2020

By Heather Saxena

Always check who owns the mobile number before issuing an e-script — that’s the top tip to avoid privacy breaches from Dr Daniel Byrne, a GP from SA who has been using e-prescribing since July.

Dr Byrne shared his words of wisdom during a webinar hosted by the Australian Digital Health Agency last week.

He pointed out how easily a privacy breach could occur, such as if the mobile number listed in a patient’s record belonged to a parent and dated back to when the patient was a toddler.

He shared the hypothetical of a case of a teenage girl presenting confidentially for the contraceptive pill, only for the e-script to be sent to the mother’s mobile because the GP hadn’t checked the number.


More information: AHDA webinar 2020; 30 Nov

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https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/media/indonesian-propaganda-against-west-papua-meet-our-jasmine-mad-mysterious-and-made-up/news-story/71e31efc3297c0a3ba8519f661ce40e8

Indonesian propaganda against West Papua: Meet our Jasmine. Mad. Mysterious. And made up.

Stephen Rice

Meet Indonesia’s new weapon in its battle against West Papuan independe­nce.

Jasmine Eloise is an “Aust­ralian reporter” who tweets her full-blooded support for Jakarta’s rule over the troubled province.

But Jasmine isn’t a journalist. She’s not even human. Jasmine is a machine-generated image, a synthetic warrior in a new kind of cyber warfare that threatens our relationship with our powerful northern neighbour.

An investigation by The Weekend Australian has confirmed the Indonesian government is behind a secret “black ops” disinformation campaign to influence Australian and inter­national opinion against West Papua’s independence movement and to attack human rights activists in Australia.

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https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/politics/federal/australia-ahead-of-schedule-on-covid-19-vaccine-plan-20201203-p56k8q.html

Australia 'ahead of schedule' on COVID-19 vaccine plan

By Rachel Clun

December 3, 2020 — 1.52pm

Australia could approve a COVID-19 vaccine almost two months ahead of schedule, the head of the medical regulator says, after the UK on Wednesday became the first Western country to take such a step.

The Morrison government also confirmed people will have full access to their own vaccination records but other companies would not be able to access it, in order to protect people's privacy.

The UK is expected to begin vaccinating vulnerable people as soon as next week after giving emergency approval to a COVID-19 vaccination on Wednesday.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said Australia was "ahead of schedule" on its five-stage vaccination rollout.

"We are on track for decisions on the early vaccines by the end of January," he said on Thursday morning, adding that subject to approvals the country could then start vaccinating health workers in March.

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https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=8c34a133-6b74-4b75-8f43-acc444ef6c65

Cybersecurity must be a top priority: APRA puts firms on notice

MinterEllison

Our key takeaways from APRA Executive Board Member Geoff Summerhayes' recent address to the Financial Services Assurance Forum

Key takeouts

  • The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) is set to step up its focus on cybersecurity and more particularly it's focus on ensuring full compliance with prudential standard CPS 234 Information Security
  • APRA will be asking boards to engage an external auditor to review their organisation's compliance with CPS 234 and report back to the regulator and to the board on the results in 2021.
  • APRA Executive member Geoff Summerhayes cautioned that where compliance issues are not addressed with sufficient speed, APRA will consider taking formal enforcement action.

Overview

In his address to the Financial Services Assurance Forum, APRA Executive member Geoff Summerhayes outlined the key points of APRA's new Cyber Security Strategy for 2020 to 2024. In doing so, Mr Summerhayes emphasised APRA's expectation that firms prioritise cybersecurity, starting with ensuring their full compliance with CPS 234 Information Security.

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https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/jobsearch-algorithms-have-gender-bias-built-in/news-story/00c923f1a4416cc181cd8b3aaffce355

Job-search algorithms ‘have gender bias built in’

Stephen Lunn

Bias towards males can be magnified in computer algorithms that rank CVs, leaving women at a further disadvantage when it comes to getting a job.

A Melbourne University study found a panel of recruiters significantly favoured male over female candidates for jobs such as data analysts or finance officers even if they had the same education and experience.

This subconscious bias was evident whether the recruiter was male or female.

But rather than an automated process delivering greater accuracy and impartiality in the recruiting process, it could worsen the bias, the report said.

“Theoretically, hiring algorithms should be able to create an optimum amalgam of candidates based on pure meritocracy,” the report said. “However … algorithms are not immune to gender bias and in some cases they may instead exacerbate gender bias.”

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https://www.afr.com/companies/media-and-marketing/make-google-and-facebook-pay-for-posting-the-news-they-don-t-make-20201203-p56k57

Make Google and Facebook pay for posting the news they don't make

Big tech produces no public interest journalism while drawing advertising away from those who do. The new media code will correct a market failure that threatens democracy.

Angela Flannery

Dec 3, 2020 – 4.43pm

During next week's final sitting of parliament, the Morrison government plans to unveil the final form of its legislation for the News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code. The aim of the controversial code is to require Google and Facebook to pay for their use of the news content of Australian media businesses.

While it may not be perfect, the controversial code is a solution to the problem created by the rise of big tech: the erosion of the advertising revenue and the business model for public interest journalism.

The aim of the controversial code is to require Google and Facebook to pay for their use of the news content of Australian media businesses. 

The code had its origins in the Australian Consumer and Competition Commission's Digital Platforms Inquiry. That inquiry recognised the many benefits the digital economy has provided for Australians, but also recognised that the digital economy has a dark side, including in its impact on the production of public interest journalism – that is, news coverage of matters of public significance or which informs public debate and democratic decision making.

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https://itwire.com/government-tech-policy/govt-ramps-up-online-powers-for-afp,-acic-in-new-surveillance-bill.html

Friday, 04 December 2020 06:02

Govt ramps up online powers for AFP, ACIC in new surveillance bill

By Sam Varghese

The Federal Government has presented a bill in Parliament that would give the AFP and the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission three new warrants in order that they can handle serious criminal acts online.

An explanatory memorandum about the new bill says: "The Surveillance Legislation Amendment (Identify and Disrupt) Bill 2020 will amend the Surveillance Devices Act 2004 (SD Act), the Crimes Act 1914 (Crimes Act) and associated legislation to introduce new law enforcement powers."

The three new powers listed are:

  • "Data disruption warrants to enable the AFP and the ACIC to disrupt data by modifying, adding, copying or deleting in order to frustrate the commission of serious offences online;
  • "Network activity warrants to allow agencies to collect intelligence on serious criminal activity being conducted by criminal networks, and;
  • "Account takeover warrants to provide the AFP and the ACIC with the ability to take control of a person’s online account for the purposes of gathering evidence to further a criminal investigation."

In 2018, the government pushed through an encryption bill on the last day of Parliamentary sittings, by warning of the danger of terrorist acts during the holiday season that would need the new powers in that bill — the Telecommunications and Other Legislation Amendment (Assistance and Access) Bill 2018 — to combat such crimes. No such events occurred.

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https://itwire.com/government-tech-policy/law-council-urges-govt-not-to-rush-surveillance-bill-into-law.html

Friday, 04 December 2020 06:43

Law Council urges govt not to rush surveillance bill into law

By Sam Varghese

The Law Council of Australia, the body that represents the country's legal profession, has urged the Federal Government to provide enough time for Parliament to scrutinise the new online surveillance bill that was introduced on Thursday.

In a statement, the Law Council described the new powers sought in the bill as "extraordinary, particularly in respect of warrant-based powers for the Australian Federal Police and Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission to engage in offensive cyber activities and online account takeovers".

The bill was introduced by Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton. If passed, it would give the AFP and the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission three new warrants in order that they can handle serious criminal acts online.

Law Council president Pauline Wright said there needed to be a close inspection of the stated operational case, the criteria, thresholds and process for the issuance of warrants, and the arrangements for independent oversight and review.

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https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/professional/what-gps-should-watch-out-for-in-the-rush-to-epres

What GPs should watch out for when ePrescribing

GPs have called for careful uptake of electronic prescriptions due to privacy concerns and the complexities for patients with multiple medications.


Doug Hendrie

02 Dec 2020

Electronic prescriptions (ePrescriptions) are surging in popularity, with GPs and pharmacists lining up to switch to a faster system.
 
More than 800,000 ePrescriptions have been generated since May, but Adelaide GP Dr Danny Byrne has warned GPs to be absolutely certain they are sending scripts to the correct mobile phone number.
 
‘Think before you click e-script to ensure the mobile number is the correct one,’ he told
newsGP. ‘If not, it’s an indefensible breach of privacy, or even a legal case and payout by your medical defence organisation.’
 
South Australia is the latest state to have the functionality rolled out as part of a
staggered introduction, with GPs and pharmacies now able to use the system.
 
Dr Byrne, who is also the RACGP SA/NT Provost, has been an early adopter of electronic prescribing (ePrescribing) under the Australian Digital Health Agency’s (ADHA) trial rollout. He has sent more than 300 ePrescriptions since July and recently ran a
webinar on their growing use.
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https://www.ausdoc.com.au/practice/could-those-qr-codes-be-more-dangerous-covid19

Could those QR codes be more dangerous than COVID-19?

Your personal information could be harvested by big business through the widespread use of QR codes, security experts claim

20th November 2020

By Antony Scholefield

One of the latest coronavirus-related media stories has been about the privacy risks of using a QR code when you check in at a pub or cafe.

Venues use the codes to track guests in case the COVID-19 contact tracers come knocking.

But they “could find themselves snared in a looming data privacy calamity”, according to an ABC investigation published last month.

The companies behind the QR code apps (not the pubs themselves) often use weaselly privacy terms and conditions, the story claims.

This is an issue, because the information collected via the codes is apparently a highly prized commodity within the data broking industry because it includes details that can offer direct access to a person’s inbox and their mobile handset.

This is sufficient for identity fraud, or to track an individual’s location and social groups.

“With fragmentary data, what you want to be able to do with that is match it with really rock-solid identification data about a person,” Professor Graham Greenleaf, professor of law and information systems at UNSW, told the ABC.

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https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/afp-set-for-dark-web-attacks-on-crime/news-story/3a0226f1d690ea4f833b99031c6c4cdf

AFP set for dark web attacks on crime

Simon Benson

Geoff Chambers

National security agencies will be given unprecedented authority to launch cyber attacks targeting pedo­philes, terrorists, drug-traffickers and organised crime gangs operating in the darkest reaches of the internet under new laws.

The Australian Federal Police and Australian Criminal Intellig­ence Commission would be able to use the sweeping powers to obtain warrants taking over the online accounts of suspected criminals using the anonymity of the encrypted­ dark web, modify and delete data to disrupt offenders, and covertly collect intelligence.

The Morrison government will table its dark web amendments to the Surveillance Dev­ices Act and Crimes Act on Thursday, but the laws are unlikely to pass through the Senate until next year.

The AFP and ACIC have argued­ that dark web powers were needed to track, disrupt and apprehen­d the worst offenders, who would otherwise be invisible to police and security agencies.

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https://www.itnews.com.au/news/australian-govt-makes-play-for-sweeping-online-account-takeover-powers-558546

Australian govt makes play for sweeping online account takeover powers

By Justin Hendry on Dec 3, 2020 12:32PM

'Exclusive control' to limit spread of material.

Federal law enforcement agencies are set to receive sweeping online account takeover powers under new legislation designed to cripple serious criminal activity on the dark web.

The new laws will also give the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission the ability to disrupt criminal activity and collect intelligence.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton introduced the Surveillance Legislation Amendment (Identify and Disrupt) Bill 2020 in Parliament this morning after months of speculation.

It follows $90 million in funding in the government's cyber enhanced situational awareness and response (CESAR) package to strengthen the AFP's cyber crime investigative capabilites.

“As technology has changed so too has the tradecraft of criminals,” Dutton said introducing the bill on Thursday.

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https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/takeover-accounts-federal-police-to-get-powers-to-tackle-the-dark-web-20201202-p56jt2.html

Takeover accounts: Federal police to get powers to tackle the dark web

By Anthony Galloway

December 2, 2020 — 11.59pm

Federal police and organised crime investigators will be able to take over the online accounts of international paedophile rings, terrorists and drug-traffickers operating on the "dark web", under new laws to be introduced in Federal Parliament.

The Australian Federal Police and Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission will also be able to hack into people's computer networks and modify or delete harmful content such as child exploitation material.

The new capabilities will give the two agencies unprecedented powers to penetrate the computer networks of criminals operating on the dark web using domestic servers for the first time.

The dark web is a part of the internet that allows users to interact anonymously and therefore can more easily evade traditional law enforcement or investigation methods.

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https://medicalrepublic.com.au/the-art-of-digital-self-defence/37824

30 November 2020

The art of digital self-defence

Technology

Posted by Anthony Kitzelmann

2020 has been a year when many people and organisations have relied on virtual interactions to keep in contact and to conduct business.

We socialise online, we manage our finances through apps, health information is often held in the cloud, and healthcare consultations are delivered by telehealth more frequently these days.

The healthcare sector has been digitally turbocharged with the implementation of many innovative and improved services. The need for accessible health information, due to natural disasters and the COVID-19 lockdowns, has resulted in many healthcare providers turning to digital services to access important healthcare information such as test results, medications, and hospital discharge summaries.

Due to digitisation and connectivity, cyber-criminals have taken this opportunity to exploit organisations and people who are not digitally secure. The healthcare sector stands out as a tempting target because of the critical nature of healthcare services and the high value placed on health data on the black market.

In August the Australian Cyber Security Centre warned that the Australian aged care and healthcare sector was being targeted for ransomware, and in October the FBI issued a similar alert about renewed threats to the sector.

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https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/professional/ndis-gps-role-definition-a-step-closer

NDIS: GPs’ role definition a step closer

The final report on NDIS planning further recognises the necessary actions to cement GPs’ role in supporting patients with disability.

Morgan Liotta

02 Dec 2020

The Joint Standing Committee on the National Disability Insurance Scheme’s (NDIS) inquiry into planning has released its final report, outlining recommendations from the 2019 interim report to improve processes and further involve GPs.
 
The recommendations come in response to key focus areas of the NDIS plan and an ongoing spate of reported issues, including excess wait times, unclear processes, and a lack of communication among healthcare providers.
 
In its September 2019 submission to the inquiry, the RACGP identified that these issues all lead to fragmentation of health records for patients with disability and inappropriate supports or duplication of services. And although GPs may be involved in helping patients access the NDIS, they are often not involved in the planning process.
 
Ongoing college advocacy for GPs to be involved in the planning, implementation and unending support for their patients accessing the NDIS has been recognised by the committee, with the report recommending that the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) investigate ways in which each participant’s plan could be shared – with their consent – with their GP.
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https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/technology/cyber-offensive-foils-thousands-of-phishing-attempts-on-aussie-mobiles/news-story/ff53c071d61d93ce5adac854f6c8b2e5

Cyber offensive foils thousands of phishing attempts on Aussie mobiles

Geoff Chambers

A major cyber offensive operation has disrupted and dismantled the business models of foreign criminals targeting the mobile phones of Australians, repelling thousands of attempts to steal money using COVID-19 phishing tactics.

The Australian Signals Directorate, acting on information provided by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, has waged a multi-agency campaign against malicious foreign cyber actors.

The ASD-led operation – launched amid a surge of cyber attacks from state-based actors and cyber criminal groups targeting governments, critical infrastructure operators, companies and individuals – was sparked after the cyber security agency “identified the business model adopted by the sophisticated criminal syndicates”.

Australian Federal Police officers supported the strike against offshore cyber criminals in tandem with international security counterparts.

…..

The Australian Cyber Security Centre, which falls under ASD, currently lists the cyber threat to hospitals and aged care operators as “critical”.

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https://ajp.com.au/news/strong-memorable-and-unique/

Strong, memorable and unique


AJP Staff30/11/2020

Account and device passwords are the first line of defence in the fight against malicious actors and passwords should be strong, memorable and unique, says one stakeholder

On International Computer Security Day, the Australian Digital Health Agency is advising people to follow these good password practices:

  1. Don’t share your password with others as you could be held responsible for their actions, which could result in disclosure of sensitive information.
  2. Always use a unique password for each account to help prevent the ‘domino effect’. This is where all accounts using the same password are compromised, when the password is discovered.
  3. Consider using a password manager if you have trouble remembering your passwords, but make sure you use a very strong master password.
  4. If you suspect someone knows your password, choose a new password immediately to reduce the likelihood of unauthorised access to information.
  5. A strong password is long, for example 14 characters or more, and includes a combination of upper and lower-case letters, numbers and special characters.

Agency CEO Amanda Cattermole said, “Developing and using good passwords is a contemporary life skill everyone can adopt to protect themselves at home and at work”.

“Having weak passwords is comparable to leaving your front door open when you leave home or leaving your car unlocked. It’s an invitation to unauthorised access and cyber compromise.

“Take some time on International Computer Security Day to read the Agency’s password fact sheet ‘Your password – the key to all your information’, which includes tips on how to create strong passwords and outlines good password practices.

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https://www.itwire.com/security/remote-working-poses-growing-security-threat-from-cyber-criminals.html

Tuesday, 01 December 2020 11:17

Remote working poses growing security threat from cyber criminals

By Peter Dinham

The accelerated shift towards remote working will continue to create new opportunities for cyber attacks in the year ahead, according to one global security firm.

Watchguard released its security predictions for 2021 on Tuesday, with chief technology officer Corey Nachreiner predicting that in the coming year, cyber criminals will find “new ways to attack individuals, their homes, and their devices in order to find a path into trusted corporate networks.”

“This trend will accelerate due to the sharp rise in remote working brought about by the global COVID-19 pandemic,” said Nachreiner.

Nachreiner said cyber criminals often incorporated worm functionality modules within their malicious code which is designed to move laterally to other devices on a network - noting that during 2021, attackers will seek out vulnerabilities in home networks with the objective of infecting connected corporate devices, and from there, they will target corporate networks and IT resources.

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https://www.digitalhealth.gov.au/initiatives-and-programs/my-health-record/children

My Health Record for children

You and your healthcare provider securely store your little one's health information for access anywhere and anytime it's needed. 

Sharon & Isaac's My Health Record story

As a busy mum of four, Sharon spends a lot of time looking after her children's health records. That includes her youngest son, Isaac, who has been in and out of hospital with skateboarding and other sporting injuries.

See how Sharon's family's records are kept up to date

·         Your child’s My Health Record

·         Who can add information?

·         What can be added?

·         What are the benefits?

·         How secure is my child’s record?

Need support?

  • In immediate danger? Call 000 now.
  • For 24/7 support and counselling, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732.
  • Call 1800 723 471 for general enquiries or if you think your family's safety is at risk due to information in a My Health Record.

Find out more

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https://www.digitalhealth.gov.au/newsroom/events/my-health-record-a-practical-demonstration-medicaldirector

On Demand Training • My Health Record

My Health Record: a practical demonstration (MedicalDirector)

These one hour sessions are aimed at general practitioners, specialists, practice managers and practice nurses interested in learning more about My Health Record and how to use it most effectively in routine practice.

Using a software simulation platform the instructor will demonstrate how to:

  • access your patients’ My Health Records in your software
  • use filters to find documents
  • view documents and overviews
  • enter access codes for patients with protected documents/records
  • upload documents to My Health Record and
  • ensure appropriate security and access governance mechanisms are in place.

Run via GoTo webinar platform, these sessions will afford an opportunity for participants to raise questions directly with the instructor and, if time permits, to discuss other issues encountered in using My Health Record. These demonstrations will be run on a weekly basis at varying times throughout the day.

If you cannot find a session time that suits you, we may be able to provide an out of schedule session to accommodate you and your staff. For more information on this or for follow up My Health Record support for your practice, please contact education@digitalhealth.gov.au.

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https://www.itwire.com/cloud/why-the-health-tech-sector-needs-to-make-integration-a-priority.html

Monday, 30 November 2020 08:26

Why the health tech sector needs to make integration a priority

By Fernando Rosendo, Chief Technology Officer, Clinic to Cloud

Health is undergoing a significant digital evolution. Interoperability and integration through the cloud are set to revolutionise the way health IT systems ‘talk to each other’ to enable faster, more real-time collaboration and more accurate patient outcomes.

But despite the proven benefits of interoperability, the health industry has a long way to go to make better integration between health information systems a priority.

What is interoperability and why is it important in health care?

According to a recent report from the Global Digital Health Partnership, the ability of different healthcare providers to use shared information is critical for:

  • Team-based care;
  • Coordinated care;
  • Continuity of care;
  • Efficiency of healthcare delivery;
  • Data analytics;
  • Patient safety; and
  • Positive patient experiences.

The lack of interoperability between systems means healthcare providers often cannot exchange information effectively, which contributes to disjointed care, adverse events, inefficiencies and poor-quality data, the report highlights.

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https://www.itwire.com/open-sauce/govt-makes-another-bid-to-put-lipstick-on-a-pig-aka-the-nbn.html

Author's Opinion

The views in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of iTWire.

 

Monday, 30 November 2020 11:40

Govt makes another bid to put lipstick on a pig aka the NBN

By Sam Varghese

Any time the NBN Co is taking a hammering over the abysmal speeds on the network which it is building at a cost of $57 billion — and still counting — there is a bid to make things look better: the equivalent of polishing a turd.

The last time this happened was in October last year when the NBN Co paid for "research" from the consultancy firm AlphaBeta to "prove" that the speeds achievable by the NBN are far better than 59th in the world (which ranking was put down to the Ookla speed test in May) and actually rank higher. It was BS of a very high order, but I was the only one to call it out as such.

This time, the NBN Co has been championed by a government entity, the Bureau of Communications, Arts and Regional Research, which is part of the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications.

The aim of this "new analysis", which unsurprisingly claims that "Australia's fixed broadband performs strongly on key indicators", is to again put lipstick on a pig. In its endeavours, the BCARR was aided by PricewaterhouseCoopers.

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https://www.digitalhealth.gov.au/healthcare-providers/cyber-security

Cyber security

Helping healthcare providers and their teams better identify threats and mitigate potential impacts.

Our Cyber Security Centre

Responsible for how Australia keeps its valuable health information safe and secure, our Cyber Security Centre (CSC) works with the healthcare sector to help identify ways to keep digital health assets protected.

Our aim is to make sure that people who work in healthcare are informed and prepared for any cyber threats that target digital health assets. 

To help achieve this level of preparedness, we partner and share expertise with government and private cyber security organisations nationally and internationally. 

We're also closely aligned with the Australian Cyber Security Centre. This helps prepare us to respond to any emerging cyber security threats.

There have been more potential cyber security attacks in the first half of 2020 than there were in the whole of 2019.

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https://www.afr.com/companies/media-and-marketing/google-angling-for-media-deals-ahead-of-accc-code-20201127-p56iiq

Google angling for media deals ahead of ACCC code

Max Mason Media and marketing editor

Nov 30, 2020 – 12.00am

Google has ramped up efforts to sign a key Australian media company as a content partner ahead of legislation that would force it to pay for the value of journalism on its platform.

Sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the search giant is trying to make a deal with at least one of the major media players Nine, News Corp or Seven West Media.

Google has been in contact with all three companies in recent weeks as it looks increasingly likely parliament will force both it and Facebook to pay for the value of journalism on their platforms.

Sources privy to the commercial in-confidence nature of conversations between Google and media companies said the company had made contact but not put any offers on the table that would be considered acceptable given the upcoming legislation – of which a final version has not been made public.

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Comments more than welcome!

David.