Australian Bureau of Statistics

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) is Australia's national statistical agency. Its primary function is to collect, analyse, and disseminate a wide range of statistical data covering economic, social, population, and environmental aspects of Australia. This data is gathered through various methods, including regular surveys and, most notably, the comprehensive national Census of Population and Housing conducted every five years. The ABS provides this official statistical information to governments, businesses, researchers, and the public to support evidence-based decision-making, policy development, research, and public understanding across the nation. Its scope encompasses virtually all facets of Australian life and the economy.

A significant operational aspect involves managing large-scale digital data collection initiatives. The ABS experienced a major disruption during its 2016 digital census collection. On August 9, 2016, the ABS census website suffered a major outage attributed to distributed-denial-of-service attacks originating from overseas. As a precautionary measure to prevent potential data compromise, the agency took the entire online census system offline. While this action successfully ensured the security of over two million submitted forms already received, the prolonged outage caused widespread public frustration and significant operational disruption. The incident attracted substantial criticism, including calls for political inquiries and generated considerable negative commentary on social media platforms under the hashtag #CensusFail, highlighting the challenges of delivering critical national online services securely and reliably.