Swinburne responds to data breach

In summary
- Swinburne responds to a data breach affecting some staff, students and external parties
- We sincerely apologise to all those impacted by this breach
- We take a proactive approach to cybersecurity and continue to strengthen our systems to prevent future incidents
Last month, Swinburne was advised that some information, such as names, email addresses and phone numbers, of around 5,200 Swinburne staff, 100 Swinburne students and some externals had been inadvertently made available on the internet. This data was event registration information from multiple events from 2013 onwards.
We took immediate action to investigate and respond to this data breach, including removing the information and conducting an audit across other similar sites.
Our investigation showed that the source of the data was an event registration webpage that is no longer available. The information made available was name, email address and, in some cases, a contact phone number.
We sincerely apologise to all those impacted by this data breach and for any concerns this has caused. We are currently in the process of contacting all individuals whose information was made available to apologise to them and offer appropriate support. We are also contacting around 200 other individuals not connected to Swinburne who had registered for the event and whose information was also made available.
We have reported the breach to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC), followed by the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner (OVIC), the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TESQA) and the Victorian Education Department.
Swinburne is committed to protecting personal information. We have a proactive approach to cyber security and continue to strengthen our systems to prevent future incidents.
-
Media Enquiries
Related articles
-
- University
Swinburne community members recognised in 2025 King’s Birthday Honours List
Swinburne community members have been recognised in the 2025 King’s Birthday Honours List, including Swinburne National Centre for Reconciliation Practice advisory board member Karen Milward and Honorary Doctorate recipient the late Dr Murray Johns.
Tuesday 10 June 2025 -
- University
- Film and television
From Melbourne to the Tiwi Islands: LINGER brings Indigenous stories to the big screen
Indigenous students from Swinburne’s Advanced Diploma of Screen and Media lead a powerful collaborative film project exploring dispossession, identity, and resilience.
Thursday 05 June 2025 -
- University
National Reconciliation Week at Swinburne
Swinburne embraced the National Reconciliation Week 2025 theme, "Bridging Now to Next," building on our strong and rich history of celebrating, acknowledging and progressing reconciliation.
Friday 13 June 2025 -
- Education
Teachers are increasingly leaving the job. Upskilling could hold the key to Australia’s educational future.
Swinburne's Professor James Verdon writes for the Herald Sun.
Friday 23 May 2025 -
- Student News
- University
Swinburne placement students to receive financial support
Eligible Swinburne students will soon be able to participate in a new government payment scheme to help ease the financial burden associated with unpaid placements. The Commonwealth Prac Payment (CPP) is a $331.65 weekly payment for the duration of mandatory, unpaid placement, available from 1 July 2025.
Thursday 08 May 2025