President of the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia WA (SSAAWA), Paul Fitzgerald, has reassured firearms owners that a WA Police Firearms Portal data breach is not an individual security risk.
“By no means are we supporting what has happened, but I think it has been blown out of proportion, because as we understand, individual licence holders did not have their personal data breached,” Mr Fitzgerald said.
A statement from WA Police said it had temporarily paused access to the Firearms Portal after an issue relating to information around corporate licences.
“This issue does not affect individual firearms licence holders or licence transitions, and the transition team is still available to take calls,” the statement said.
“Corporate licence holders can include shooting ranges, gun clubs and dealers.
“The pause is a precaution while WA Police investigate the issue.
“The Firearms team are good people working hard for our community and we thank all firearms owners for their patience and continued co-operation.”
Political commentary on the breach had inflamed what was originally a minor issue, Mr Fitzgerald said.
He said it was frustrating that the announcement of the data breach caused unnecessary worry and alarm for the firearms community, and that the SSAAWA was working hard to respond to calls and emails expressing concern.
The SSAAWA had re-established a relationship with the State government at the same time the Standing Committee on Legislation Firearms Act review was announced.
“We get frustrated when we’re establishing these relationships for the past couple of years, and then a politician comes out and cries wolf,” Mr Fitzgerald said.
“We would much prefer it if politicians were given more information and were a bit more sensible about releasing that information before they cause a roaring bushfire in the firearm community, who are already stressed.”
The data breach adds to a mounting pile of problems.
“This is just another example of how the portal was never stress tested, it was never put into a live environment and while ‘portal’ sounds like a really nice word, it still revolves around humans physically entering data,” Mr Fitzgerald said.
“When the government agency’s response is to shut the whole thing down, we have less days to become compliant.
“There’s no denying the fact that this portal wasn’t ready, and the Police Minister is going to have to do something about it because all we’ve heard in the lead up is threaten the WA firearm community that if you don’t become compliant in 90 days, we’re going to take your guns off you.”
Mr Fitzgerald acknowledged trying to stamp out the flames around the data breach while advocating for changes to the legislation put him in a difficult position.
“Do we rally down the streets, or do we keep being engaged with the WA Police, and try to keep the ball rolling?”
Leader of The Nationals WA, Shane Love, has called for an investigation into the data breach, describing the portal as a failure and a risk to firearms owners’ privacy and security.
“I’ve had hundreds of people write to my office with examples of issues they’ve had with the portal,” Mr Love said.
“Users are being required to interact with a platform that is incomplete, unreliable, and now jeopardising the security of their personal information.”
“The minister must immediately halt the implementation of the Act and take the website offline.”