Watchdog warns over extending spies' power

Watchdog warns over extending spies' power:

"Australia's intelligence watchdog has declared she is on the lookout for whether a proposal to embark upon one of the biggest expansions of security powers in a decade will lead to an imbalance between state power and private rights."

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Delisle Spy Case: Australia's known spy scandals, with Canadian connections, too | Full Comment | National Post

Delisle Spy Case: Australia's known spy scandals, with Canadian connections, too | Full Comment | National Post:

"As the trial of Jeffrey Delisle, Canadian Navy officer and alleged spy, resumes in Halifax, plausible reports have been emerging that the information reportedly improperly distributed by Delisle may have compromised Australian intelligence operations. The facility that Delisle worked at is involved in a little-known multi-lateral security agreement among the Anglosphere powers — the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. If Delisle was indeed providing information to a foreign power, believed to be Russia, there’s every reason to believe that some of that information may have originated in, or concerned, Australia."

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Australia’s spies active in world’s strategic hotspots | StratRisks

Australia’s spies active in world’s strategic hotspots | StratRisks:

 "Source: Telegraph Daily
Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS) chief Nick Warner gave the first-ever public speech by a director-general of the 60-year-old overseas spy agency last week. It was a calculated move by the Labor government to politically promote ASIS, Australia’s equivalent of the CIA. Warner said it was time to “raise public awareness” of ASIS’s “unique contribution” to “our foreign policy and security.”"

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Canada spy case rocks ASIO

Canada spy case rocks ASIO:

"AN ALLEGED Canadian spy has compromised Australian intelligence information in an international espionage case that has sent shock waves through Western security agencies."

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Australian government websites taken offline by Anonymous - security, data retention plan, Australian goverment websites, anonymous - CIO

Australian government websites taken offline by Anonymous - security, data retention plan, Australian goverment websites, anonymous - CIO:

"Hacktivist group says the attacks were in response to proposed data retention laws"

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Ludlam: government paying "lip service" on data retention proposals - ozlog, data retention, Scott Ludlam - Computerworld

Ludlam: government paying "lip service" on data retention proposals - ozlog, data retention, Scott Ludlam - Computerworld:

"Data retention proposals by the Federal Government need to be more carefully thought through, according to Scott Ludlam"

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Australia’s spies active in world’s strategic hotspots

Australia’s spies active in world’s strategic hotspots:

"Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS) chief Nick Warner gave the first-ever public speech by a director-general of the 60-year-old overseas spy agency last week. It was a calculated move by the Labor government to politically promote ASIS, Australia’s equivalent of the CIA. Warner said it was time to “raise public awareness” of ASIS’s “unique contribution” to “our foreign policy and security.”"

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Australians covertly monitoring Indonesian boat routes | The Australian

Australians covertly monitoring Indonesian boat routes | The Australian:

"AUSTRALIAN Secret Intelligence Service officers are involved in covert operations in Indonesia's remote eastern archipelago, gathering information to disrupt asylum-seeker boat departures."

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History lesson: Australian Secret Intelligence Service - YouTube

History lesson: Australian Secret Intelligence Service - YouTube:

"ABC reporter Narda Gilmore takes a look at the Australian Secret Intelligence Service's history."

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Australian foreign intelligence chief acknowledges cyber security threat - security, cyber terrorism, cyber security, ASIS - Security - Techworld

Australian foreign intelligence chief acknowledges cyber security threat - security, cyber terrorism, cyber security, ASIS - Security - Techworld:

"ASIS director general says advances in information technology and other technological innovations will be among the greatest risks to Australia's security in the next 10-15 years."

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Threat of mass terror increasing: ASIS | The Australian

Threat of mass terror increasing: ASIS | The Australian:

"THE opportunities for terrorists to acquire weapons of mass destruction (WMD) will increase over the coming decade, the head of Australia's overseas spy network has warned."

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ASIO's getting the keys to your computer

ASIO's getting the keys to your computer:

"Man, we’re screwed. If the Greens are the only political actors standing between us and the government’s exciting new Orwellian surveillance laws it’s probably time to pack our bags and check into Room 101. Because both the government and opposition (which is soon to become the government by a crushing majority) seem very comfortable with the idea of letting ASIO get up real close and personal for a deep body rub-humping all over you online."

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ASIS boss opens up on a kinder, gentler spy agency

ASIS boss opens up on a kinder, gentler spy agency:

"The Australian Secret Intelligence Service does not use violence, blackmail or threats in its work to protect Australia against terrorism and other security threats, according to the spy agency's chief, Nick Warner."

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Be sceptical of vague new 'national security' powers - The Drum Opinion (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Be sceptical of vague new 'national security' powers - The Drum Opinion (Australian Broadcasting Corporation):

"Any proposal by the government to increase its own power should be treated with scepticism."

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Opinion - The West Australian

Opinion - The West Australian:

"Stuff the carbon price. The country needs a cliche tax."

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Daily Cuppa: hacks, back doors and data breaches | ZDNet

Daily Cuppa: hacks, back doors and data breaches | ZDNet:

"The weekend, tech news was filled with espionage, data breaches and even more hacks. Here's the news to get you ready for the week."

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Correspondent with impeccable contacts

Correspondent with impeccable contacts:

"Distinguished war correspondent Denis Warner OBE CMG, who has died at the age of 94, is being remembered for predicting the infamous raid on ASIO's headquarters during the Whitlam years."

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Why has the Right gone missing on the surveillance state? - Democratic Underground

Why has the Right gone missing on the surveillance state? - Democratic Underground:

"It took a while but Fairfax finally lumbered into action today on the remarkable proposals to dramatically expand government surveillance of Australians that are before the Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, editorialising that intelligence agencies needed to explain why they want to retain Australians’ internet data, after its security specialist Dylan Welch had covered the proposals yesterday. "

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Down Under-surveillance: Australian govt seeks confidential online data — RT

Down Under-surveillance: Australian govt seeks confidential online data — RT:

"Internet users in Australia may be forced to share every aspect of their online lives with the government. If passed into law, a new security measure would require service providers to retain customers’ phone and internet data online for two years."

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Govt responds to data retention criticism | ZDNet

Govt responds to data retention criticism | ZDNet:

"The Federal Government has defended the need for intelligence agencies to have access to internet and phone records of Australians."

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Australian authorities propose broad expansion of government surveillance powers.

Australian authorities propose broad expansion of government surveillance powers.:

"The list of countries seeking new Internet surveillance powers continues to grow. On Monday, Australian authorities revealed that they want a new “interception regime” enabling them to wiretap the Web—similar to plans outlined in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom."

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Secret agency steps into the light

Secret agency steps into the light:

"THE head of Australia's overseas spy service, ASIS, will deliver the first public speech in the organisation's history next week, in order to commemorate the organisation's 60th anniversary."

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Spy bid to keep our net data

Spy bid to keep our net data:

"The telephone and internet data of every Australian will be retained for up to two years and intelligence agencies would be given increased access to social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, under a suite of new proposals from Australia's intelligence community."

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Husband's plea to free ASIO 'risk'

Husband's plea to free ASIO 'risk':

"THE husband of Ranjini, the Sri Lankan mother of two boys who has been deemed a security risk by ASIO, is planning a personal appeal to the Immigration Minister, Chris Bowen, for her to be released into his care."

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Notification of Subscriber Data Loss

Dear Subscriber

We are writing to notify you that the Department has been advised by a former external contractor that a DVD which included information provided by Stay Smart Online Alert Service subscribers was lost in Australia Posts’ system, after being posted on 11 April 2012. 

The external contractor provided the Alert Service on behalf of the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy (‘the Department’) from 2008 until 29 April 2012, when its contract with the Department expired.  As you may be aware, the Stay Smart Online Alert Service is currently being re-developed by the Department in collaboration with two new contractors. 

As part of the expiry of contract handover process, the original contractor advised that it copied its SSO Alert Service subscriber database onto a DVD and, on 11 April 2012, posted this DVD to the Department using Australia Post’s express post service. Unfortunately, this DVD was never received by the Department. The original contractor has informed the Department that information on the missing DVD included subscribers’: usernames; email addresses; memorable phrases; and passwords which are unreadable (as cryptographic hash).  

The Department has no reason to believe that this information has been found and misused by any third party and we do not believe that there is a privacy risk.  We are informing subscribers consistent with a ‘best practice’ approach for privacy matters.

However, if you have used the same username, memorable phrase and/or password for other websites or services you may wish to consider whether these need to be changed.   

For information on password security and other tips and advice on how to be safe and secure online, visit Stay Smart Online website (www.staysmartonline.gov.au).

Regards

Stay Smart Online Team


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the above was emailed to me as a subscriber to the service, for some reason I believe it was relevant to post it here : ) webyter

NBN Co: Huawei FOI could harm national security | ZDNet

NBN Co: Huawei FOI could harm national security | ZDNet:

"Exclusive: In March, it was revealed that the Australian Government banned Chinese-owned network vendor Huawei from competing for contracts with the National Broadband Network (NBN) on the advice of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO). Huawei has long been under scrutiny, due to concerns that Huawei president Ren Zhengfei is a retired major in the People's Liberation Army."

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