Mount Lilydale Mercy College

Mount Lilydale Mercy College, also known as MLMC, is an Australian Catholic secondary school located in the Melbourne suburb of Lilydale. The institution provides education to students, operating within the national secondary schooling sector. Its core function is delivering academic curricula and pastoral care in accordance with its Catholic ethos. The college serves families in its local geographic region, functioning as a community-focused educational provider. As a Mercy College, its operations are guided by the traditions and values of the Sisters of Mercy, emphasizing social justice and compassion. The school's daily activities involve student instruction, co-curricular programs, and the management of associated administrative and financial processes, including the handling of parent payment information.

A significant event in the college's recent operational history was a cyber incident discovered on 11 January 2023. This security breach resulted in the unauthorized access of credit card details belonging to approximately 400 parents, though card verification values were not compromised. The Australian Federal Police had previously alerted the institution to suspicious network activity before the breach's full discovery. In response, MLMC engaged cybersecurity specialists and forensic investigators to determine the attack's origin and scope. The college directly notified all affected individuals to enable them to take protective steps with their financial institutions. Furthermore, it initiated mandatory regulatory reporting to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner and the Australian Federal Police. This incident and the subsequent response highlight the institution's operational exposure to contemporary cybersecurity threats and its procedural commitment to data protection and regulatory compliance within the Australian educational landscape. The college publicly emphasized its dedication to data protection best practices following the breach.