External
Report

Provided below is a selection of reports published on the Attorney-General's Department website.  Please note that the links are provided here as a navigation aid only.

TitleYearDescription
Attorney-General's Department reports

Identity Security

ongoing

The Attorney-General's Department plays an important role in working to improve the management of identity in Australia. A significant component of this involves coordinating with other Commonwealth agencies and state and territory governments to implement the National Identity Security Strategy.

Key achievements of this strategy include the establishment of the national Document Verification Service and the development of identity security guidelines and standards related to the recoding, verification and management of identity information.

Identity Security guidelines and standards

ongoing

Australia's National Identity Security Strategy provides high-level guiding principles to guide identity security initiatives. These are supported by a suite of resources which provide guidance to help agencies and organisations improve the security of identity documents, authentication standards, biometric interoperability, integrity of identity data holdings and procedures for document verification.

Designed initially for government agencies, these standards and guidelines may also serve as a benchmark for private sector organisations, particularly those providing identity related services to, or in conjunction with, government agencies.

A Review of the National Identity Security Strategy - Report to the Council of Australian Governments

2012

In 2012 COAG agreed to a revised strategy to revitalise the national identity security agenda, following a review of the National Identity Security Strategy (NISS). The review found that the elements of the 2007 intergovernmental agreement continued to provide a firm basis for the national identity security effort. It also concluded that an updated strategy document was needed to ensure Australia's approach to identity remained ready to meet the opportunities and challenges presented by the digital economy and to respond to the evolving nature of identity crime in Australia.

Recording of a name to establish identity - better practice guidelines for Australian Government agencies

2011

This paper outlines better practice guidelines to improve consistency and accuracy in use of a name as an identifier by Australian Government agencies.

National Identity Security Strategy

2007

The National Identity Security Strategy (NISS) was developed after Council of Australian Governments (COAG) agreed in 2005 that the preservation and protection of a person's identity is a key concern and a right of all Australians.

The strategy initially took the form on an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) that was signed by the Heads of Australia's Commonwealth, state and territory governments in April 2007.

The IGA outlined the six key elements which comprise the NISS. These include measures to enhance identity verification and security standards for key 'evidence of identity' documents; integrity of data in identity records; and interoperability of biometric identity security measures.