Compliance software · Australia

Privacy and GRC compliance software for Australian businesses

Australia's privacy law is getting sharper, the Essential Eight has become the security baseline buyers and insurers ask about, and critical infrastructure rules keep widening. AI Pazz Govnex gives an Australian SME one place to run all of it — with an owner and evidence behind every control.

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In short

Most Australian organisations with an annual turnover above AUD 3 million must follow the Privacy Act 1988 and its 13 Australian Privacy Principles, and report eligible data breaches under the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme. For cyber security, the ASD Essential Eight is the de facto baseline. Govnex holds the APPs, the Essential Eight and the SOCI Act as ready-made control sets you assign, evidence and report on.

Reviewed . A plain-language guide, not legal advice — check the regulator's site for the current position.

The laws and rules that apply in Australia

What each asks of a business, who it applies to, what happens if you fall short — and whether Govnex holds it as a ready-made control set.

Privacy Act & APPs

Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles

Ready-made in the Govnex Library
Regulator
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC)
Who it applies to
Australian Government agencies and organisations with an annual turnover above AUD 3 million — and smaller businesses that, among others, provide health services, trade in personal information or contract to the Commonwealth.
If you fall short
For serious or repeated interferences with privacy, the greater of AUD 50 million, three times the benefit obtained, or 30% of adjusted turnover.
What it asks of you
  • Manage personal information openly under the 13 APPs, with a clear and current privacy policy (APP 1)
  • Collect only what you need, and use and disclose it only for the purpose you collected it (APPs 3 to 6)
  • Take reasonable steps to protect it and destroy or de-identify it when no longer needed (APP 11)
  • Take reasonable steps before disclosing it overseas (APP 8), and give people access and correction (APPs 12 and 13)
  • Assess a suspected data breach within 30 days, and notify the OAIC and affected people of an eligible data breach likely to cause serious harm

The Privacy and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2024 added a statutory tort for serious invasions of privacy, a Children's Online Privacy Code and transparency about automated decisions, phased in from 2025. The small business exemption is under review.

Source: OAIC

Essential Eight

ASD Essential Eight Maturity Model

Ready-made in the Govnex Library
Regulator
Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) — Australian Cyber Security Centre
Who it applies to
Mandatory for non-corporate Commonwealth entities; widely asked of their suppliers, and by customers and cyber insurers of businesses of every size.
If you fall short
No penalty in itself — but it is increasingly a contract, tender and insurance condition.
What it asks of you
  • Application control, patching applications and patching operating systems
  • Configuring Microsoft Office macro settings and hardening user applications
  • Restricting administrative privileges and multi-factor authentication
  • Regular backups — each strategy measured at maturity level zero to three

Source: cyber.gov.au

SOCI Act

Security of Critical Infrastructure Act 2018 (SOCI Act)

Ready-made in the Govnex Library
Regulator
Cyber and Infrastructure Security Centre (Department of Home Affairs)
Who it applies to
Responsible entities for critical infrastructure assets across 11 sectors, from energy and water to data storage, health and food.
If you fall short
Civil penalties for failing to report, register or keep a risk management program.
What it asks of you
  • Register asset ownership and operational information
  • Report serious cyber security incidents within 12 or 72 hours
  • Keep a Critical Infrastructure Risk Management Program (CIRMP) and give an annual board-approved report

Source: cisc.gov.au

Cyber Security Act

Cyber Security Act 2024

Track it with your own controls
Regulator
Department of Home Affairs
Who it applies to
Businesses with an annual turnover above AUD 3 million (and critical infrastructure entities) that make a ransomware payment.
If you fall short
Civil penalties for failing to report.
What it asks of you
  • Report a ransomware or cyber extortion payment within 72 hours of making it

Source: homeaffairs.gov.au

WHS Act

Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (model WHS laws)

Ready-made in the Govnex Library
Regulator
Safe Work Australia (model laws) and each state and territory regulator
Who it applies to
Every person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) in jurisdictions that adopted the model laws.
If you fall short
Fines and, for the most serious breaches, industrial manslaughter offences in several states.
What it asks of you
  • Eliminate or minimise risks to health and safety so far as reasonably practicable — psychosocial risks included
  • Notify the regulator of notifiable incidents and preserve the site
  • Consult workers on health and safety

Source: safeworkaustralia.gov.au

Standards Australia buyers ask for

How AI Pazz Govnex helps in Australia

What you needHow Govnex does itModule
APP compliance and breach readinessAdopt the APP control set, give every control an owner, record evidence cycle by cycle, and keep breach response as issues with owners and due dates.
Essential Eight maturityTrack each of the eight strategies at the maturity level you target, with evidence, and report where you stand to your board or insurer.
Privacy policy and staff acknowledgementPublish the privacy and security policies, version them, and see who has read and acknowledged each.
What personal information you holdKeep a register of the data you hold, its owners and where it goes — the basis for APP 1 and APP 8.
SOCI risk management programRun the CIRMP as a risk register with treatments, owners and a board-ready report.
WHS incidents and climate disclosureRecord incidents and their investigations, and collect the figures AASB S2 asks for.

Your first 90 days

  1. 1Decide which laws apply: check the AUD 3 million threshold and its exceptions, and whether any assets fall under the SOCI Act.
  2. 2Adopt the Privacy Act & APPs and the Essential Eight control sets, and assign an owner to every control.
  3. 3Map the personal information you hold and where it goes, including overseas.
  4. 4Write or refresh your privacy policy and data breach response plan, and have staff acknowledge them.
  5. 5Run your first assessment cycle, close the gaps as issues, and report maturity to your leadership.

Start with what applies to you

Adopt the control sets that fit, add your own for the rest, and give every control an owner. The first months are free.

Start free

Compliance in Australia: questions and answers

Does the Privacy Act apply to small businesses in Australia?
Generally not if annual turnover is AUD 3 million or less — but there are many exceptions, such as health service providers, businesses that trade in personal information and Commonwealth contractors. The government has agreed in principle to review the exemption, so smaller businesses are wise to prepare.
What is the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme?
It requires organisations covered by the Privacy Act to assess a suspected data breach within 30 days and, if it is likely to cause serious harm, notify the OAIC and the affected individuals as soon as practicable.
What Essential Eight maturity level should an SME aim for?
Maturity Level One is the usual starting point and Maturity Level Two is what many customers and insurers now expect. Govnex tracks each of the eight strategies against the level you target, with the evidence behind it.
Can AI Pazz Govnex keep our data in Australia?
Dedicated Hosting runs your own deployment with data and files stored in the Azure region you choose, including Australian regions.
Does Govnex cover the Privacy Act out of the box?
Yes. The Privacy Act 1988 and the Australian Privacy Principles, the Essential Eight, the SOCI Act and the model WHS Act are in the Govnex Library as ready-made control sets you adopt, assign and evidence.
Is Govnex only for privacy?
No. The same workspace runs policies, risk registers, issues, internal audits, regulatory change, a data register and ESG & EHS — one organization, one set of people and permissions.

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