ABS response to ANAO Audit: Cyber Security Readiness for the 2026 Census

The ABS acknowledges the findings from the Australian National Audit Office’s report on the Cyber Security Readiness for the 2026 Census tabled today in the Australian Parliament and has agreed to implement all four recommendations.  

The recommendations align with the ABS’s commitment to best practice governance, risk management and continuous improvement. The ABS has already implemented two recommendations in full, and the remaining two will be implemented prior to Census night on 11 August. 

This audit complements the ABS’ extensive assurance and testing program that has underpinned the design and development of the 2026 Census since the beginning.  

Keeping people’s information safe and secure is a top priority for the ABS and is a major consideration when designing all elements of the Census, including the Census online form. 

The information people provide on their Census form is protected by the Privacy Act 1988 and the secrecy provisions of the Census and Statistics Act 1905.  

We have a range of processes and protections that make sure information in Census forms stays confidential. We continuously reassess cyber threats and risks, prioritise controls for critical systems, actively adjust as vulnerabilities emerge, and integrate planning across our IT systems.  

Multi-layered assurance and the ABS’ continuous reassessment of the threat environment provides confidence that we will be ready to deliver the 2026 Census.  

Our digital infrastructure is accredited, securely hosted in Australia, and aligned with recognised cyber security and information assurance standards. 

Advice and support for the 2026 Census continues to be provided by the Australian Signals Directorate and Australian Cyber Security Centre and other cyber security experts. We’ll keep engaging with our trusted partners in government and the private sector to maintain data quality, privacy, security and availability of the IT systems underpinning the Census.  

More information on Privacy Impact Assessments and our responses is available on our website along with information about the 2026 Census.  

More information 

The 2026 Census will offer a snapshot of who we are and tell the story of how Australia is changing. It is the ABS’ largest, and one of the most important, statistical collections.  

The 2026 Census has taken a privacy by design approach, meaning we have built good privacy practices into the design specifications when setting up new systems and processes. A critical part of privacy by design is understanding and minimising privacy impacts or risks for people.         

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