Media Release

28 April 2009

Centrelink develops new IT system to ward off hackers

The innovative staff at Centrelink have developed a safer and more secure identity authentication system and are offering the design to the rest of the world online, for free.

Minister for Human Services, Senator Joe Ludwig, said the Protocol for Lightweight Authentication of Identity is to be used with ID cards for staff access to secure buildings and computer systems.

“Until now, existing technology in this field has been at risk of breach by hackers,” Senator Ludwig said.

“But PLAID will prevent the cracking of authentication systems and foil the cloning of smartcards and other system-access devices.”

“Centrelink has around 26,000 employees and administers more than $70 billion in payments and services to more than 6.5 million customers each year.”

“That’s why it is so important Centrelink has a reliable and strong IT system in place.”

“With a vast database including millions of Australians, Centrelink takes a very serious approach to customer privacy and employee access.”

Senator Ludwig said Centrelink is making PLAID freely available on the web for government agencies and private corporations concerned about the security of their staff.

“The idea is that commercial operators will build on PLAID by developing security software and hardware for other organisations to purchase and use,” he said.

“Centrelink will save money buying an ID authentication system, rather than building and maintaining a system in-house.”

PLAID allows for fast, flexible, private and secure authentication and also for inter-operability within agencies and between agencies.

More information is available at: www.govdex.gov.au.

Media Contact

Sarah Cosson — 0423 823 842 or (02) 6277 7200.