PRIVACY · AUSTRALIA

Australian Privacy Act 1988
Assessment & Implementation

The Australian Privacy Act 1988 sets the rules for handling personal information through the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs). It applies to Australian Government agencies and private sector organizations with annual turnover over AUD $3 million (and smaller businesses handling health or financial data).

Who This Applies To

Australian organizationsBusinesses over A$3M turnover and health providersMSPs and their clientsLean IT teams carrying an audit

What the Australian Privacy Act 1988 Covers

The Privacy Act sets out how personal information is handled through the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs). It applies to Australian Government agencies and private sector organizations with annual turnover over AUD $3 million (and smaller businesses handling health or financial data).

There are 13 Australian Privacy Principles, covering open and transparent management, anonymity, collection, dealing with unsolicited information, notification, use and disclosure, direct marketing, cross-border disclosure, government identifiers, data quality, security, access, and correction. The mandatory Notifiable Data Breach (NDB) scheme requires notification to the OAIC and affected individuals.

Official source: https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/the-privacy-act

ThreeShield's CISSP- and CISA-certified assessors run the Australian Privacy Act 1988 engagement, and Lavawall® collects the technical evidence continuously, so your posture is current the day an auditor, insurer, or client asks for it, not just at renewal.

Where the Work Splits

Australian Privacy Act 1988 requirementLavawall® collectsThreeShield delivers
Multi-factor authentication status✓ Continuously—
Patch and vulnerability posture✓ Continuously—
Encryption at rest and in transit✓ Continuously—
Access and audit-log review✓ Continuously—
Risk assessment and scoping⚑ Platform dataCISSP/CISA-led
Policies, procedures, and evidence package—Written by ThreeShield

Frequently Asked Questions

It does if you are an Australian Government agency or a private sector organization with annual turnover over AUD $3 million. Smaller businesses handling health or financial data are also covered. We confirm scope in the first call, at no charge.

A gap assessment against the Privacy Act usually takes a few weeks. Closing the gaps and standing up the evidence takes longer, and that is where most of the work sits, so the total depends on your starting point. Because Lavawall® is already collecting the technical evidence while we work, you do not restart from zero at reassessment.

Yes. Many clients begin self-serve on Lavawall®, then bring in ThreeShield for the assessment, the policies, and the sign-off once they know where the gaps are. The three engagement models below are meant to be moved between.

Three Ways to Engage, from DIY to Done-for-You

ThreeShield meets you at your current security maturity. Every level includes Lavawall®.

Self-Serve

DIY via Lavawall®

For lean IT teams and cost-conscious organizations with internal security capacity

  • Lavawall® GRC with Australian Privacy Act 1988 control mapping
  • Continuous automated evidence collection
  • Live compliance dashboard and score
  • Policy template library
  • AI-generated status reports
Start with Lavawall®
Recommended for MSPs & Lean IT

Supported

Expert guidance alongside your team, ideal for MSPs and organizations with some internal IT capacity

  • Everything in the DIY tier
  • CISSP/CISA gap assessment
  • Prioritized remediation roadmap
  • Policy and procedure development
  • Quarterly compliance review calls
  • MSP white-label available
Get Supported Engagement
Fully Managed

Done-for-You

Full compliance delivery, managed end to end by ThreeShield

  • Everything in the Supported tier
  • Full compliance program management
  • CISSP/CISA-executed formal assessment
  • Detailed findings methodology
  • Complete documentation package
  • Annual reassessment included
Book Done-for-You

Ready to Get Compliant with the Australian Privacy Act 1988?

Choose your engagement model: DIY via Lavawall®, supported by ThreeShield's CISSP/CISA team, or fully done-for-you. Every model includes continuous monitoring, so you stay compliant between audits.

Book a Scoping Call

DIY · Supported · Done-for-You