Why data privacy is a necessity

DATA privacy is no longer just an IT buzzword – it’s a business essential for Geelong’s small enterprises.

As family-run cafés, professional services and retailers adopt remote work, cloud tools and AI-driven platforms, sensitive data now lives across home offices, shared drives and online services.

That flexibility fuels growth but also expands opportunities for data leaks and regulatory missteps.

Later this year, proposed reforms to Australia’s Privacy Act will remove the existing small business exemption (for firms under $3 million turnover), meaning every business – no matter its size – must comply with core privacy rules for the first time.

At the same time, consent requirements will be tightened so that any agreement to collect or use personal data must be voluntary, informed, current and unambiguous.

New rules on data minimisation will oblige people to only gather what you need and to securely delete or anonymise records when they’re no longer required.

And if the business plans any high-risk data projects – such as AI analytics on customer profiles – they’ll have to carry out a Privacy Impact Assessment before beginning.

Ignoring these changes risks hefty fines and, worse, damage to hard-won customer trust. Building trust now means showing personal data can be handled responsibly, not just promising it.

Here are a few practical steps to get ahead:

Write and follow a clear privacy policy. Explain in plain language how data will be collected, used and protected – including rules for AI chat services and third-party apps

Train your team regularly. Human error remains the leading cause of breaches. Short, focused sessions on spotting phishing, securing devices and handling data correctly turn employees into your first line of defence

Choose secure tools and vendors. Enable encryption and multi-factor authentication on all cloud accounts, limit access to only the data each person needs, and select providers that comply with Australian privacy standards

Declutter your data. Only collect what’s necessary and delete or anonymise outdated records promptly to meet the new “data minimisation” expectations, and

Prepare for incidents. Have a simple response plan in place so you know whom to call, how to notify affected parties under the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme and ensure regular backups to recover quickly.

At GravIT, they are proud to help Geelong businesses navigate these upcoming reforms with jargon-free guidance – from drafting privacy policies and staff workshops to configuring secure cloud environments.

Contact the team today for a complimentary data-privacy health check and work together, to meet future legal requirements and show customers that their information is truly in safe hands.

For more information, head to gravit.com.au

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