Protecting your Digital ID

How we protect your information

The Australian Government is serious about your safety and privacy. When using government online services, your personal information won’t be shared without your permission – putting you in control.

myID uses encryption and cryptographic technology as well as the security features in your device, such as fingerprint, face or password. This protects your ID and helps stop other people accessing your information.

Only your core ID details are stored in the myID app, such as your name, date of birth and email address. When verifying your photo, the app scans your face to check that you’re a real person, the right person, and verifying in real time. These details are checked against existing government records. After this one-off verification process, your photo is deleted.

The myID Privacy Policy  has more information about:

• what personal information we collect and how we manage it
• your rights to access or seek correction of your personal information held by us.

myID is accredited under the:

• Australian Trusted Digital Identity Framework (developed in alignment with the United States National Institute of Standards and Technology SP800-63B), which strictly controls how your ID data is collected, stored and used
• Gatekeeper Public Key Infrastructure Framework, which governs how the Australian Government uses digital keys and certificates to assure the ID of subscribers to authentication services.

How you can protect your myID

Your myID belongs to you – don’t share it with others. Sharing your myID could enable others to access your personal data across services such as tax and health. To ensure the security of your ID and personal information, it’s your responsibility to protect your myID.

To protect your myID from being used fraudulently, it’s important that you:

• keep your contact details up to date in the app
• protect your email account by using strong and secure passwords, and multifactor authentication
• turn on notifications in your app to ensure you receive
  • verification notifications 
  • notifications when your myID is active on another device
• avoid storing images of ID documents in emails and be careful who you share these with
• use the security features in your device, such as face or fingerprint recognition, to log in.

Remain alert and call our support line  immediately to report:

• a lost or stolen device
• a device or record you don’t recognise in your myID setup history 
• inappropriate access to your personal information in myID – even if you only suspect it
• suspicious activity – for example, if you receive a verification notification when you’re not actively accessing an online service, or a notification your myID is active on another device when you haven’t set up your myID again.

Your myID notifications and setup history are recorded in Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST). 

Staying safe online

Your personal information forms part of your ID. Here are some tips to stay safe online and protect your personal information:

• Don’t share your myID with others, even family members or co-workers.
• As we transition from myGovID to myID, you do not need to set up a new myID or reconfirm your details. If you've been prompted to go to a website to do so, this is a scam.
• When logging in to an online service with myID, ensure that the URL displayed in your browser includes ‘https://www.myID.gov.au’ or ‘https://myID.gov.au’.
• Only download the myID app from the official app stores (Google Play and the App Store). Non-genuine versions of the myID app may be available from other sources.
• Be cautious when clicking on hyperlinks embedded in text messages and emails. Don’t click on links or attachments in emails from unknown sources.
• Keep your personal information and passwords secure – change your passwords regularly, don't share your password with others, and secure your email account with multifactor authentication.
• Treat requests for personal information with caution. Never reply to emails with your password or other sensitive information – including to prospective employers.  
• Install anti-virus software on all devices and set the software to automatically check for updates on a daily basis.
• Make data security an everyday priority, practice good cyber hygiene and constantly review your security habits.
• Store personal information in a secure place. Make sure electronic documents containing personal information are secure and avoid carrying your birth certificate or passport in a wallet or handbag unless you need them.

For more information visit cyber.gov.au