Visiting our websites

This page sets out privacy considerations when visiting webpages that we host.

You should read the information on this page together with our privacy policy. Our privacy policy explains how we collect and handle personal information.

The information on this page applies to all websites and applications that we maintain.

Protecting your information online

We are committed to protecting information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988, including the Australian Privacy Principles and the Australian Government Agencies Privacy Code.

While we make every effort to secure information transmitted to and from our websites over the internet, it is possible your information could be accessed by a third-party while in transit, as set out below.

Information logged

When you visit our websites and applications, a record of your visit is logged. Your browser may supply the following information:

  • your browser and operating system
  • your top-level domain name (for example, .com, .gov, .au, .edu)
  • the address of the referring site, such as the previous site you visited
  • the date and time of your visit
  • the address of the pages accessed and the documents downloaded.

We use this information for statistical analysis and systems administration. We do not use the information to identify individuals or their browsing activities. However, there may be circumstances in which we would be required by law to disclose this information to law enforcement agencies for investigative purposes.

The actions authenticated users take within our applications are also logged. This may include log-in attempts and changes made by users, such as updating fields, uploading documents and submitting information.

Cookies

Cookies are electronic tokens that pass between your browser and our server whenever you access a webpage.

Cookies are used to track the webpages you access. They allow you to navigate back and forth through our websites and return to pages you have already visited. The cookie exists only for the time you are accessing websites. When you visit our websites and applications, cookies are used to assist our department understand how our websites are being used. For information on how to block the use of cookies please consult your web browser provider.

For more information regarding cookies, visit the Australian Cyber Security Centre website.

Information collected by third-party software vendors

In addition to web server logs, our websites use online tools, provided by third-party software vendors, to measure website interaction and use. These tools help us improve the efficiency and usability of our websites. We may use this information to:

  • find out when our systems are not working as expected
  • understand user needs and which online services and applications are hard to use
  • learn where we can streamline services
  • cater for different types of browsers and devices
  • develop relevant support information to help you interact with us
  • improve our ability to assist stakeholders when they contact us for help.

Third-party software vendors we use as of August 2023, include:

In relation to Google Analytics 4, you can opt out of the collection of the above-mentioned information using the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on. For information on how these vendors handle your personal information, please review their respective privacy policies (see links above).

Searches

We collect search terms you enter when using our search function, but do not associate them with any other information we collect. We use these search terms to ascertain what people are looking for on our websites for the purpose of improving the services we provide.

Interaction between our websites and third-party websites

Our websites contain links to third-party websites and may also use social sharing tools to make it easy to share information – for example, incorporating Facebook tools so users can ‘like’ content. These other websites may use web measurement tools, customisation technologies and persistent cookies to inform the service they provide to their users.

We do not use, maintain or share personal information made available through social media sites including Facebook and YouTube.

We are not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of websites maintained by third parties. You should consult the privacy policies of other sites for information about their policies and practices.

Related links

Privacy Policy

Related websites

Australian Cyber Security Centre