A significant data breach has compromised the personal information of approximately 3,000 residents in northern New South Wales who were impacted by the 2022 floods. The NSW Reconstruction Authority (RA) reported that the breach occurred in March and involved over 12,000 entries from a spreadsheet related to the Northern Rivers Resilient Homes Program.

According to an RA spokesperson, the breach happened when a former contractor uploaded personal information to the Artificial Intelligence platform ChatGPT. The RA stated that once the full extent of the breach was determined, they took immediate action to mitigate risks and began collaborating with Cyber Security NSW and forensic analysts.

"We are undertaking detailed investigations to understand what was shared, what the risks are, and who from the program is impacted," the RA's statement noted. The Northern Rivers Resilient Homes Program aims to assist residents affected by flooding by either purchasing homes in high-risk flood areas or enhancing the resilience of existing homes against future floods.

The breach exposed sensitive information, including names, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, and other personal and health details of program applicants. The RA emphasized that while there is no evidence that any of this information has been made public, they cannot completely rule out that possibility.

The RA acknowledged the complexity and time-consuming nature of the investigation, stating, "Our focus has been on making sure we have all the information we need to notify every impacted person correctly."

NSW Minister for Recovery and Lismore MP Janelle Saffin expressed her regret over the situation. She received a preliminary report about the breach in July and a final report recently. Saffin has requested the RA to review its processes and report on the situation, particularly regarding the timeliness of notifications to affected individuals.

"I would prefer [for the RA] to advise people sooner, and I'm also informed they couldn't identify everybody, but I need to see the report first," she stated. "This is our community, my community, so I'm really sorry."

Saffin assured that the situation is being handled with care and consideration. The RA plans to reach out to affected individuals this week to provide updates on how they have been impacted and the support available to them.