Human error helps hackers

AUSTRALIANS are making it easy for criminal hackers to steal their personal data, the federal government has warned.

Cyber security federal minister Angus Taylor said human error was often the weakest link in a business cyber security, which criminal gangs from Eastern Europe and Asia were ruthlessly exploiting.

The federal government has forced businesses to report any breaches of cyber security this year and the report showed 36 per cent of breaches could be blamed on human error.