The NSW government is recruiting experts for a new identity support unit for people whose personal information or government proof of identity credentials have been stolen.

IDSupport NSW will provide a one stop shop for reporting identity theft, replacing ID documents and getting support and counselling, digital and customer service minister Victor Dominello said.

“IDSupport NSW will for the first time provide a single point-of-contact for customers who have had their identity compromised, while ensuring we have a coordinated end-to-end privacy incident response service in the NSW government.

“Customers will be able to contact one phone number and receive the right guidance, information and support, saving time and frustration during what can be a stressful time.”

Improving identity resilience has been a key action in the NSW Identity Strategy, he said.

The unit will work with government agencies including Cyber Security NSW on education and awareness campaigns and will collaborate with the Australian and New Zealand identity and cyber support service, IDCARE, to replace compromised government proof of identity documents.

IDCARE CEO Dr David Lacey said he was looking forward to working with the NSW government.

“The aim of the partnership with IDSupport NSW is to develop best practice approaches to address identity compromise arising from data breaches,” he said.

“This will complement IDCARE’s approach to helping customers within Australia and New Zealand address issues with broader identity misuse.”

The Department of Customer Service is currently recruiting for experts to join IDSupport NSW and drive the development of the project,  which is due to be launched early next year.

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