People smugglers paid by Australian spy, Indonesia police documents allege | Australia news | The Guardian

 "New documents allege an Asis officer paid $US31,000 to people smugglers after customs authorities escorted their boat back to Indonesian waters"



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Labor hypocrites have a death wish on border control and security

 "To fully appreciate why Bill Shorten's approval numbers have sunk to Gillardesque levels in the polls, and why his opposition has had an appalling week on national security, it pays to remember four things."



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Australia to spend millions on growing threat of cyber attacks

"FEDERAL Government will invest tens of millions of dollars and employ dozens of “cyber warriors” as it moves to combat the growing threat from cyber attacks."



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Cyber attack on US government personnel data

 "The massive cyber attack that has unfolded in the United States over the last two weeks is hugely damaging, both to the lives of many millions of current and former US government employees whose personal information was stolen and to their nation’s interests."



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Technical Lead / Senior Software Developer - Australian Signals Directorate Job in ACT - SEEK

 "The Australian Signals Directorate is looking for Software Engineers with a range of experience levels from university graduates to seasoned professionals. We are looking for enthusiastic, motivated individuals to join our Agile development team to help shape the future of computer network operations within the Australian Signals Directorate."



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CPA - The Guardian - #1689

"The United States Pine Gap satellite tracking station, 19 kilometres south-west of Alice Springs, was built in 1966 and came on line soon after. A new report * by leading espionage experts has revealed that there has been a massive expansion of satellite communications surveillance capabilities by the US National Security Agency and its Five Eyes partners – the Australian Signals Directorate, the UK’s Government Communications Headquarters, Canada’s Communications Security Establishment and New Zealand’s Government Communications Security Bureau."



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Australia needs MOAR L33T WHITE HATZ, says Federal Police • The Register

"Australia needs a bunch more experts in disciplines you're barely allowed to discuss here, according to the Australian Federal Police."



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Minister no longer deny payment to people smugglers - The West Australian

"Cabinet ministers no longer deny that people smugglers were paid to return a boatload of asylum seekers to Indonesia, amid the prospect of three inquiries into the affair."



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Cash for boats a new deal: Wilkie

 "A FORMER intelligence analyst says the practice of paying cash to people smugglers is a recent and unhelpful development."



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Australia's first Cyber budget? - Government News

 "The latest federal Budget is the first to explicitly earmark funds to address the issues of fighting cyber crime and cyber terrorism. Security specialist Craig Richardson welcomes the move, but cautions it means government agencies now face a challenge to ensure the money is spent effectively."



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Indonesia's Vice President calls Australia's alleged payment of people smugglers 'bribery' as country demands the allegations are taken seriously | Daily Mail Online

"Indonesia's Vice President Jusuf Kalla has said that Australia's alleged payment of people smugglers amounts to 'bribery'."



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Spies, police have paid Indonesian informers for years | The Australian

"Australian spies and police working inside Indonesia have been involved in a secret war against people-smugglers since 2001, including using paid informers to help destroy the trade."



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John Key in the dark over Aussie government people smuggler payout claims

 "Prime Minister John Key says he has no knowledge of whether the Australian Government paid around NZ$33,000 for a people-smuggling boat to turn around."



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Australian 'spies' may have 'paid people smugglers to turn their boats around' - 9news.com.au

"Australian spies may have paid people smugglers to turn their boats around as part of a covert operation, according to a shocking new revelation by a senior intelligence source."



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Catching Up on the OPM Breach — Krebs on Security

 "As part of my visit to Australia (and then to gorgeous New Zealand) these past few weeks, I was invited to speak at two separate security conferences. At one of them, my talk was preceded by a speech from Mike Burgess, chief information security officer at Telstra, Australia’s largest telecom provider. Burgess knows a few things about attribution: He is an 18-year veteran of the Australian Signals Directorate (formerly the Defence Signals Directorate and the Australian equivalent of the U.S. National Security Agency)."



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A move towards cyber resilience in a world without borders - CSO | The Resource for Data Security Executives

"Late last year, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission chairperson, Greg Medcraft called for Australia to focus on "cyber resilience" to prevent destabilisation of financial markets. Coincidentally, a day later, the Australian Government announced the formation of a cyber security expert panel to review the nation’s cyber security efforts. This came in the wake of the Australian Signals Directorate reporting a 37 per cent increase in cyber security incidents on the previous year."



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ASIS' crime, and the Labor-Liberal cover-up - Echonetdaily

"The lawyer at the centre of the East Timor cabinet-bugging scandal has finally broken his silence to defend himself and his client against attacks by Attorney-General George Brandis and Abbott government lawyers."





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Aussie spies may have paid people smugglers | dailytelegraph.com.au

"AUSTRALIAN spies may have been involved in paying people smugglers to turn their boats around as part of a classified­ operation to disrupt their movements, a senior intelligence­ source revealed."



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MUSLIMS IN AUSTRALIA are outraged that Prime Minister Tony Abbott has proposed revoking Australian citizenship of jihadis who join the Islamic State (ISIS) - Walid Shoebat

 "MUSLIMS IN AUSTRALIA Are Outraged That Prime Minister Tony Abbott Has Proposed Revoking Australian Citizenship Of Jihadis Who Join The Islamic State (ISIS)"



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Australia called to Hague on Timor Gap | The Saturday Paper

 "With its defence department gearing up to join the Americans in the occasional defiant flyover of the new Chinese artificial islands in the South China Sea, the Australian government finds itself on the same side of the dock as the Chinese in international maritime law proceedings."



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ISIS Goes Nuclear

 "An alarming report comes from the Australian Intelligence community: The radical Islam terrorist group ISIS has collected enough nuclear material to assemble a “dirty” bomb. Said material was likely seized from captured government facilities in Iraq including hospitals and research labs."



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Security concerns must be followed to the letter | The Australian

 "It is natural for ministers to defend their own fiefdoms but not always wise to take the fight too far."



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Australia defends Jakarta envoy s return after executions - The West Australian

"Indonesia executed Australians Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran by firing squad in April, ignoring impassioned pleas from the Australian government and public."



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Recalled ambassador Paul Grigson returns to Indonesia

"Australia's ambassador to Indonesia has returned to Jakarta five weeks after he was recalled by the Federal government to express its anger over the Bali nine executions."



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Stand against China from the middle ground | afr.com

"On April 17, 2001, three Royal Australian Navy (RAN) warships sailed through the Taiwan Strait. This was soon after a Chinese fighter collided with a US EP-3 reconnaissance aircraft, forcing it to land on Hainan Island in the South China Sea. "



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Australian government vilifies human rights commissioner - World Socialist Web Site

"For the second time in four months, the Abbott government has denounced Australian Human Rights Commissioner Gillian Triggs for criticising the extensive violations of basic legal and democratic rights by successive Australian governments."



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In Terror Fight, Australia Debates Revoking Citizenship | The Diplomat

 "A controversial proposal would strip would-be terrorists of citizenship. Will that help?"



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Land tax can be unfair

 "In the current enthusiasm for depriving Australians of their citizenship through a minister advised by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, it has been overlooked that most of those young volunteers for the caliphate are likely to have been born in Australia and tohave no guarantee of citizenship anywhere else."



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Timor-Leste presses ahead with challenge to Timor Sea oil and gas treaty | World news | The Guardian

"Timor-Leste is set to resume a formal challenge against an oil and gas treaty that became mired in controversy following claims Australia bugged the cabinet room in Dili to gain the upper hand in negotiations."



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Monis letter wasn’t referred to inquiry admits Julie Bishop | The Australian

"Labor legal affairs spokesman Mark Dreyfus said Senator Brandis should have referred Monis to the Australian Federal Police or the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation when the self-styled sheikh wrote about contacting the “caliph” of the terrorist group."



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Aussie spy agency prepares for ICT upgrade - Computerworld

 "The Australian Secret Intelligence Service has set the wheels in motion for its mammoth ICT upgrade program."



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East Timor 'reactivates' bid for new maritime boundary with Australia

"An espionage operation by Australia's foreign spy service underpins a new bid by East Timor to establish a maritime boundary between the two countries and gain a bigger share of the lucrative Timor Sea oil and gas fields."



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Tackling the human problem of security - Security - iTnews.com.au

"The former cyber chief for the Defence Signals Directorate set out to change the mindset within Telstra when he joined in February 2013, a mammoth task given the size of the telco and its exposure to security threats thanks to the very nature of its business."



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Pine Gap’s new spy role revealed

"Central Australia's Pine Gap spy base has taken on a new electronic surveillance role, making it a "multi-purpose mega-intelligence centre," as Australia and our allies massively increase interception of global satellite communications, a new report by leading espionage experts has revealed. "



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ASIO boss reveals fewer Australians now joining ISIS after rapid increase last year | Daily Mail Online

 "Fewer Australians are joining Islamic State the head of the nation's top spy agency has revealed."



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Queen’s Speech: Snooper’s Charter is back, plus extension of GCHQ powers | Ars Technica UK

 "The Queen's Speech, delivered this morning at the opening of UK parliament, has confirmed earlier indications that the Snooper's Charter is on its way back, with the UK government promising that "new legislation will modernise the law on communications data.""



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China moves weapons on to artificial islands in South China Sea

"In Canberra, Fairfax understands that China's frenetic building activity has prompted the Defence Intelligence Organisation and Office of National Assessments to adopt a more hawkish tone since they each delivered major strategic threat assessments to the National Security Committee of Committee (NSC) mid-last year."



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Citizenship of Australian terrorists overseas under question - Wikinews, the free news source

"Yesterday, Australia's Prime Minister proposed his government might strip individuals of their Australian citizenship if authorities consider them involved in terrorist activity."



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Counter-terrorism coordinator shifts the power, but not staff

"The Abbott government’s changes to the counter-terrorism regime will see the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet assume a greater role in what has traditionally been the preserve of the Attorney-General’s Department."



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Monis felt targeted by ASIO, Schapelle Corby retaliation - Yahoo7

 "A psychiatrist and a mental health nurse who treated Sydney siege gunman Man Haron Monis are among witnesses who will testify at an inquest into the tragedy on Wednesday."



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Mass surveillance makes us subjects of the state. That's chilling | Richard Ackland | Comment is free | The Guardian

"In the 1980s there existed in Sydney something called the Free Speech Committee. It was mainly comprised of hairy lefties who believed free speech should be absolute – even broader than the first amendment."



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Sydney siege inquest: Man Haron Monis claimed he was being 'set up' by ASIO and 'picked on' by Customs - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

"A former solicitor of the Sydney Lindt cafe siege gunman says Man Haron Monis claimed he was being "set up" by ASIO and "picked on" by Australian Customs officials about his frequent trips abroad, an inquest has heard."



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Tony Abbott denies national security measures alienating parts of community | Australia news | The Guardian

Tony Abbott denies national security measures alienating parts of community | Australia news | The Guardian:

"No one should feel alienated by the Australian government’s national security crackdowns, Tony Abbott said, as he announced changes to counter-terrorism responsibilities and prepared to reveal tougher citizenship laws."



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Abbott names Moriarty new Counter-Terrorism Coordinator - Government News

Abbott names Moriarty new Counter-Terrorism Coordinator - Government News:

"Prime Minister Tony Abbott has moved to conspicuously beef-up the Australian government’s counter-terrorism response by creating a new high-profile ministry backed by a top-level bureaucrat, but resisted any wider push to rationalise departmental responsibilities or supporting machinery of government."



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Australia to announce new counter-terrorism measures - Mirage News

Australia to announce new counter-terrorism measures - Mirage News:

"Prime Minister Tony Abbott has indicated the government will soon announce further counter-terrorism laws and amendments amid “a growing challenge from foreign fighters and from home-grown terrorists”."



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The government tried to hack your phone

The government tried to hack your phone:

"A NEW leaked report has revealed that several government spy agencies across the world, including Australian agencies tried to hack into phones via the Google Play Store and Samsung’s app store."



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Apple and Google Just Attended a Confidential Spy Summit in a Remote English Mansion - The Intercept

Apple and Google Just Attended a Confidential Spy Summit in a Remote English Mansion - The Intercept:

"At an 18th-century mansion in England’s countryside last week, current and former spy chiefs from seven countries faced off with representatives from tech giants Apple and Google to discuss government surveillance in the aftermath of Edward Snowden’s leaks."



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Business - THE NEWS WRAP: Australian spies part of international spook alliance to hack smartphones

Business - THE NEWS WRAP: Australian spies part of international spook alliance to hack smartphones:

"Australia’s spy agencies, along with those of the United States, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom planned to hijack the Google and Samsung app stores to implant spyware on phones."



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Snowden: NSA And Allies Planned To Use Google And Samsung App Stores To Spy On Smartphones : PERSONAL TECH : Tech Times

Snowden: NSA And Allies Planned To Use Google And Samsung App Stores To Spy On Smartphones : PERSONAL TECH : Tech Times:

"The National Security Agency has been at it again. New documents leaked by Edward Snowden reveal that the NSA and its allies planned to infect smartphones with spyware via the Google Play and Samsung App stores."



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Data and Goliath: The Hidden Battles to Collect Your Data and Control Your World, by Bruce Schneier | Books | Times Higher Education

Data and Goliath: The Hidden Battles to Collect Your Data and Control Your World, by Bruce Schneier | Books | Times Higher Education:

"Paul Bernal clicks with a maverick thinker who shows how business and governments are building a global surveillance network and how we can fight back"



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Australian budget boosts spending on war and surveillance - World Socialist Web Site

Australian budget boosts spending on war and surveillance - World Socialist Web Site:



"One of the most revealing, and least reported, features of last week’s Australian federal budget was increased funding for the military and intelligence agencies, not just for this year but for every following year."



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Telstra-owned Pacnet hit by major data breach

Telstra-owned Pacnet hit by major data breach:

"Australia's leading cyber-spies have joined the hunt for hackers who broke into Telstra's Asian subsidiary Pacnet in an attack affecting thousands of customers including The Australian Federal Police, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and other government agencies."



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Cyber Resilience for Financial Services Entities | K&L Gates LLP - JDSupra

Cyber Resilience for Financial Services Entities | K&L Gates LLP - JDSupra:



"ASIC also recommends a number of Australian providers who deal with mitigating cyber risk including the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) publication 'Strategies to mitigate targeted cyber intrusions' and CERT Australia, who partner with major Australian businesses, particularly major financial institutions and market infrastructure providers in providing advice and support on cyber risks."



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Jim Furner - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jim Furner - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:



"Brigadier James Osmond "Jim" Furner AO CBE DSM (25 November 1927 – 17 September 2007) was an Australian military intelligence officer, who was the longest serving Director-General of the Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS) from 1984 to 1992."



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A bet each way: our China policy is rational

A bet each way: our China policy is rational:

"Australia has had a clear, consistent and sound China strategy ever since the Defence Intelligence Organisation began querying why a China that was committed to its own 'peaceful rise' might be developing the world's first anti-ship ballistic missiles, anti-satellite missiles and other platforms for projecting military power far from its shores."



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Russia to Reduce Dependence on Android, iOS With Customised Sailfish OS | NDTV Gadgets

Russia to Reduce Dependence on Android, iOS With Customised Sailfish OS | NDTV Gadgets:

"Following the Edward Snowden revelations that showed the level of surveillance carried out by spy agencies NSA and GCHQ, several countries have been looking to reduce their dependence on Google's Android and Apple's iOS software, with the fear of backdoors installed by the US government."



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Snowden Files Give New Details on Osama bin Laden Raid

Snowden Files Give New Details on Osama bin Laden Raid:

"Secret intelligence documents disclosed by Edward Snowden provide new context for evaluating the various accounts of the raid that killed Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan in 2011."



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UK government 'changed hacking laws' to exempt GCHQ and police from criminal prosecution

UK government 'changed hacking laws' to exempt GCHQ and police from criminal prosecution:

"A privacy body suing GCHQ and the foreign office for illegal surveillance is accusing the UK government of rewriting hacking laws in order to make spies and the police exempt from being prosecuted, just before the court case began."



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