News Analysis: Australian govn't sends mixed message with blockage of S. Kidman sale - Xinhua | English.news.cn

English.news.cn:

"Australian Treasurer Scott Morrison on Friday blocked the sale of S. Kidman and Co. Limited, the country's largest private land owner, to Chinese investor, saying the deal is "contrary to the national interest"."



'via Blog this'

NSA spying: How many American citizens are affected?

 BGR:

"The National Security Agency (NSA), which is behind some of the world’s most sophisticated mass surveillance operations, can’t say how many Americans it’s spying on in these endeavors. That’s not because it’s a secret, though that might be a reason too. It’s because the agency’s operations are so vast that it can’t even figure out the number."



'via Blog this'

U.S. Court allows the FBI to Hack any Computer

theHackerNews:

"The US Supreme Court has approved amendments to Rule 41, which now gives judges the authority to issue search warrants, not only for computers located in their jurisdiction but also outside their jurisdiction."



'via Blog this'

​NEC Australia wins AU$52m

 ZDNet:

 "The Attorney-General's Department had previously said the capability was designed to replace manual facial image sharing arrangements between departments and agencies, with the Australian Federal Police, the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Department of Immigration and Border Protection, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, the Department of Defence, and the AGD under the auspices of AusCheck the first to gain access to the system."



'via Blog this'

Hitting back at hackers

theAustralian:

"The government’s announcement adds some of the missing components and strengthens the capacity and capabilities of security forces, the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD), the Federal Police, and the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) that was opened in November 2014 as “the next evolution of Australia’s cyber security capability.” The additional cyber security capacity and capabilities should improve information flow about cyberattacks and will facilitate early action, threat reduction and event mitigation."



'via Blog this'

Feds still paying for Windows XP support

iTnews:

"Federal government entities are required to adhere to the Australian Signals Directorate’s top four cyber mitigation strategies within their IT environments, including that they keep up to date with operating system patches."



'via Blog this'

More money doesn't guarantee success

theConversation:

 "The government’s long-awaited Cyber Security Strategy does not detail how these funds will be spent across the “five themes of action" included in the strategy."



'via Blog this'

Bangladesh tour back on radar

cricket.com.au:

"A week later, Sutherland announced that the tour had been postponed following information gleaned from DFAT, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation and CA's internal head of security who was working closely with the BCB and Bangladesh authorities in Dhaka."



'via Blog this'

U.S. Spy Chief Considers Disclosing Number Of Americans Surveilled Online

ktoo:

"PRISM “gathers messaging data from Alphabet Inc’s Google, Facebook Inc, Microsoft Corp, Apple Inc and other major tech companies that is sent to and from a foreign target under surveillance,” Reuters reports."



'via Blog this'

Track Attackers On Your Corporate Network

 Lifehacker Australia:

"There are a host of vendors that sell cybersecurity solutions to businesses to protect them against attackers. For bigger organisations, sometimes it’s not enough to play the defensive game, according to Trent Heisler global vice-president of solutions engineering at LogRhythm, a security intelligence vendor. He was a speaker at the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSI) 2016 Conference earlier this month."



'via Blog this'

Cyber security 'health checks' for big business

smh:

 "The federal government will foot the bill for cyber security 'health checks' at some of Australia's biggest companies."



'via Blog this'

Australia's cyber strategy

LowyInterpreter:

"At a government level, there are solid efforts to strengthen defences, including 'a rolling programme of independent assessments of Government agencies’ implementation of the Australian Signals Directorate’s Strategies to Mitigate Targeted Cyber Intrusions'. After the debacle at the Office of Personnel Management in the US, there is ample evidence this issue needs to be taken extremely seriously. And as the strategy admirably acknowledges, an audit of seven Australian government agencies found 'most fell well short'. "



'via Blog this'

U.S. weighs disclosure

 Reuters:

"That law enables an Internet surveillance program known as Prism that was first disclosed in a series of leaks by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden nearly three years ago.

Prism gathers messaging data from Alphabet Inc's Google , Facebook Inc, Microsoft Corp, Apple Inc and other major tech companies that is sent to and from a foreign target under surveillance.

Intelligence officials say data about Americans is "incidentally" collected during communication with a target reasonably believed to be living overseas. Critics see it as back-door surveillance of Americans without a warrant."



'via Blog this'

Australia pledges A$230m to prevent a ‘lawless’ cyber domain

computerWeekly:

"Australia has adopted a new cyber security strategy, backed by a government pledge to invest A$230m over the next four years, which will include beefing up its computer emergency response team (Cert), the first responder for major incidents."



'via Blog this'

Australia still doesn't see a cyber attack as the menace our allies fear

theConversation:

"The strategy’s eight-page action plan, along with its indicators of success, is ambitious in its scope. Novel measures include joint public-private threat assessment centres in the states and a series of new appointments, including an Assistant Minister, a Special Adviser (both reporting to the PM) and an ambassador for cyber affairs. There are radical commitments to widen the services of the Australian Signals Directorate in the Department of Defence to meet private sector customer needs."



'via Blog this'

Australia Is Spending $178 Million to Beef Up Cyber Security

Nature World News:

"Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull from Australia confirmed the rumors that some government agencies of the country had been hacked. However, he refused to answer when asked if he believes that China is behind the hacking."



'via Blog this'

Cyber security a 'team sport'

theMandarin:

"ACSC co-ordinator Clive Lines, a deputy director of the Australian Signals Directorate, said recruitment was still an issue for the government agencies because they can’t compete against private sector salaries for staff with more advanced skills."



'via Blog this'

Australia launches cybersecurity campaign

South China Morning Post:

"Australia set out a far-reaching cybersecurity strategy on Thursday, invoking the leaks of United States whistle-blower Edward Snowden, terrorism and even the threat of war to push for a coordinated global approach to protection of online data."



'via Blog this'

Secret Court Takes Another Bite Out of the Fourth Amendment

 Electronic Frontier Foundation:

"But according to the FISC, that justification only applies at the time of initial collection (including the kind of massive overcollection that is occurring under 702) and can be completely abandoned once the government has its mitts on your communications. 

The upshot is that the government needs a national security or foreign intelligence purpose only for the initial collection and analysis of information. Once it has communications in its custody, those limitations no longer apply and the government can troll through it for whatever law enforcement purpose it wants without having to worry about getting a pesky warrant. "



'via Blog this'

Chinese bid ‘getting only leases from foreign-owned Kidman’

theAustralian:

"Dakang director Gary Romano declined to comment on the Treasurer’s decision or Mr Morrison’s move last year to block the sale on national interest grounds because one of Kidman’s properties overlapped the Woomera Prohibited Area in South Australia, but he criticised claims that the Chinese buyers should be allowed only to lease and not purchase the Kidman properties."



'via Blog this'

Turnbull orders Cyber Security cohesion

Government News:

"The public confirmation by the PM that the Australian Signals Directorate (formerly the Defence Signals Directorate) has cyber weapons at the ready is the first time the government has officially acknowledged the capability – and marks a significant change in posture in how future attacks, criminal or nation state sponsored, may be dealt with and potentially called out and publicised."



'via Blog this'

Domestic spying internationally

SC Magazine UK:

 "Domestic surveillance and foreign intelligent is not such a clear cut line in the age of PRISM. The Five Eyes group, a network of intelligence sharing between Australia, the UK, the US, Canada and New Zealand already shares the findings of various domestic surveillance programmes. This is only the tip of the iceberg as the Five Eyes regularly share with, and receive information from third parties and allies.  PRISM itself is run with contributions from GCHQ and the Australian Signals directorate. "



'via Blog this'

Cyber criminals are one step ahead: security experts

theAustralian:

 "The Prime Minister yesterday acknowledged the capabilities of the Australian Signals Directorate to launch strikes on hacker collect­ives, saying he hoped his announcement sent a strong message to cyber criminals."



'via Blog this'

Australia biggest cyber criminal of all

Bernard Keane

"Unlike other countries, and especially the United States, where there’s not merely been an extensive debate but a presidential panel review and legislative changes to curb the powers of spy agencies, the Snowden revelations have occasioned no debate in Australia. That Australia is complicit in a planetary-scale, multi-system mechanism of mass surveillance; that our own agencies have engaged in electronic surveillance of countries that are ostensibly our allies and close partners; that we have used electronic surveillance that is claimed to be used to defeat terrorism and our potential military opponents for economic advantage and to help US corporations: all these facts have been met with a conspiracy of silence from the major political parties here. Worse, the media has allowed both sides to get away with using national security as an excuse not to debate whether what Australia is engaged in is legal, moral or serves its national interests."



'via Blog this'

Turnbull launches government's cyber security strategy

Computerworld:

"The Australian Cyber Security Centre will relocate to enable “a more integrated partnership between the Government and its operational stakeholders, including businesses, the research and academic community and foreign partners collaborating with the ACSC,” the document states.

The Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) will continue to lead the ACSC."



'via Blog this'

ASIO spied on terror

The Courier-Mail:

"THE nation’s intelligence agency was secretly listening in on phone calls and spying on the internet activity of an accused terrorist-financier from Logan months before the Australian Federal Police began surveillance of him, a court has heard.

Lawyers for Omar Succarieh told the Supreme Court in Brisbane this morning that they had slapped the nation’s intelligence agency with a subpoena demanding it hand over records of messages and phone calls they intercepted."



'via Blog this'

Scott Morrison delays decision on sale

AdelaideNow:

 "Kidman and Co last year agreed to sell Anna Creek Station separately to the rest of the business because half of the station is located in the Woomera Prohibited Area."



'via Blog this'

South Aussie cattle family to buy the famous Anna Creek cattle station

AdelaideNow:

"Anna Creek represents more than 25pc of the total land area of the Kidman properties. Its sale to the Williams group means the portion of the old S. Kidman and Co being owned by a foreign companies would rise from the existing level of 30 per cent to about 60pc of its total area.

The sale of the Kidman group to Chinese buyers was stopped by the Federal Government last November citing national interest concerns. These were understood to include the location of Anna Creek falling within part of the Woomera Prohibited Area."



'via Blog this'

Firepower boosted to battle cyber hits

theAustralian:

 "The new money, to be spent over four years, will cover the cost of additional infrastructure and pay for an additional 101 cyber ­security specialists. The Australian Signals Directorate will assess the vulnerability of government agencies and advise them how to deal with emerging technology and threats."



'via Blog this'

A nice RSF postcard from the Pacific

 Asia Pacific Report:

 "“New laws in 2014 and 2015 provide for prison sentences for whistleblowers who disclose information about conditions in the refugee centres or operations by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation.”"



'via Blog this'

Australia wants cyber spies on the offensive

 afr.com:

 "Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull will acknowledge publicly for the first time the existence of Australia's offensive military cyber arsenal, as part of a $230 million plan to involve universities and businesses to fight the rise of criminal, terrorist and state-sponsored cybercrime."



'via Blog this'

Asio backs down

 The Guardian:

 "Court documents reveal the extraordinary lengths the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (Asio) has gone to to fight a judicial review of an adverse security assessment of a man currently held in immigration detention."



'via Blog this'

S Kidman board agrees to sale

 MEAT+POULTRY:

"An earlier bid by Shanghai Pengxin to buy Kidman failed after the Australian government blocked the sale on concerns a takeover by a foreign company posed a conflict with the country’s national interests. Approximately 50 percent of the pastoral lease is located in the Woomera Prohibited Area (WAP) in South Australia. The WAP is used for military weapons testing and is the largest land testing range in the world. Anna Creek, one of Kidman’s cattle stations, covers part of the testing range. It is the largest single property holding in Australia and represents about a quarter of Kidman’s total property."



'via Blog this'

A Chinese company has agreed to buy 1% of Australia — Quartz

Quartz:

"The government’s main problem with the deal was that the property included the Anna Creek farm, where a military weapons testing range, the Woomera Prohibited Area, is located. The concern was that selling this portion to a foreign company could create a security risk."



'via Blog this'

Australian Signals Directorate seeks better access to IT skills

Computerworld:

"The Australian Signals Directorate, which watches over the Australia’s telecommunications, electronic data networks and external radio monitoring activity, is making an urgent drive to upgrade the nation’s defences against cyber warfare attacks on key data and internet assets."



'via Blog this'

the scandal is what the law allows

The Guardian:

 "Documents leaked by Snowden in 2013 revealed that Australian spying authorities had offered to share bulk metadata of ordinary Australian citizens with their partners in the Five Eyes network. Other documents Snowden leaked revealed Australian spies had attempted to listen in to the phone calls of former Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his inner circle, causing an extended diplomatic rift between the two countries."



'via Blog this'

China Poised to Take ‘Decisive and Provocative’ Action

The Diplomat:

"U.S. and Australian intelligence agencies voice concern about China’s recent moves in the South China Sea."



'via Blog this'

MAX BLENKIN: Veterans enlist to weed out Walter Mitys

as posted here (link is a 404 error now)

October 9th, 2009

They are the people who pretend to be veterans, either embellishing a pedestrian service record or, as was the case with former Prisoner of War Association president Rex Crane, creating a wholly fictitious record of overseas service. SOME call them wannabes, others more politely describe them as Walter Mittys, a reference to the fictional character who imagined himself to be a dashing pilot or a life-saving surgeon.

Oxygen thieves, vermin and blowflies is how one particular group of veterans regard these imposters, running their own investigations of frauds and posting the results on their website.
The aim is to name, shame and humiliate.
``Why do we do what we do? To a man each of us lost good mates who paid with their lives in Vietnam,'' explains the group's spokesman who identifies himself only as Rodney Rambo.
``All of us have pulled a boot on in defence of Australia and get most irate when we discover a phoney who would steal the honour of our pals.''
The website is called Australian and New Zealand Military Imposters (ANZMI) and is hosted from the US.
``This affords some protection from death threats made by wannabes we have exposed _ for personal and family protection the names of all operatives are pseudonyms,'' Rodney said.
Some of the exposed are considered to be unbalanced and some homicidal.
The ANZMI team comprises Australian Regular Army Vietnam veterans who understandably concentrate on outing bogus Vietnam veterans, Rodney says.
But now they are receiving reports of dodgy veterans from recent conflicts including Somalia, Rwanda, Timor, Afghanistan, the Solomons and Iraq.
The website lists 116 cases, indicating the astonishing extent of this practice.
Most are men, although some women are exposed for purporting to be nurses in Vietnam.
Among the cases is that of a man who pretended to be a returned POW, although his WWII   service with the RAAF never took him outside Australia.
One man, with no military service at all, was exposed for claiming to have served with the US Marines and SEALs, Australian Special Air Service Regiment and Commandos as well as with ASIO.
Membership of special forces appears to be a relatively common claim of the wannabes. ANZMI notes that many on the site have honourable, if undistinguished, genuine military service.
``Instead of being proud of this service, they have heavily embellished it or created a whole new fraudulent history for themselves,'' the website says.
Why do they do it? In some cases, the result is fraudulent access to veteran benefits but many seem to fall into the ``sad loser'' category.
Rodney says most bogus Vietnam veterans surfaced after the 1987 Welcome Home parade.
``Those with little or no service saw the outpouring of emotions and the forgiveness ... of mainstream Australia towards the shunned and not often spoken of''.
``Here was an opportunity for an absolute nobody to attract sympathy and attention from a newly awakened country.''
Under ANZMI policy, former service personnel who have embellished their records will be removed from the website if they recant and apologise to the veteran community. But civilians with fabricated military careers are there in perpetuity.
Rodney said a continuing concern related to the punishment meted out to the wannabes.
``The most disappointing aspect is the poor penalties handed down by the courts _ if in fact the case ever reaches court,'' he said.
He suggests jail as the obvious punishment, noting that imposters in the US can expect jail time or perhaps community service in a veterans' mental institution bathing, feeding, writing letters and taking mentally-affected former servicemen to the toilet.
Rodney said the recent exposure of Crane had produced numerous reports of fresh suspects to the ANZMI site.
``As long as we have wars we will have wannabes,'' he said. ``I guess it's like trying to eradicate blowflies.''
(Website: http://www.anzmi.net/info.html)

as posted here (404)

ASIC backs project aimed at encouraging corporate whistleblowers

 afr.com:

"They are Toni Hoffman from Bundaberg Hospital who uncovered medical malpractice in Queensland Health, Brian Hood from Reserve Bank of Australia subsidiary Note Printing Australia and James Shelton from RBA subsidiary Securency who uncovered foreign bribery.

Apart from Morris, the other whistleblower is Andrew Wilkie, who worked at the Commonwealth Government's Office of National Assessments and revealed the lack of evidence of weapons of mass destruction to support involvement in the Iraq invasion."



'via Blog this'

Malcolm Turnbull must resist the China hawks

afr.com:



"And defence hawks have stepped up their lobbying efforts for a further tightening in the approvals after the Northern Territory government leased Port of Darwin to a Chinese company last October. Turnbull would do well to accept the cool-headed advice of Dennis Richardson, Secretary of the Department of Defence, and Duncan Lewis, Director General of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, who both concluded that the deal posed no national security risk."



'via Blog this'

The death of privacy

 Macworld Australia:



"“Metadata plays a central role in almost all serious criminal and national security investigations, which is why it’s so critical that our law enforcement and security agencies continue to have the ability to lawfully access this kind of data in connection with their investigations. For example, child exploitation investigations rely heavily on access to metadata as perpetrators primarily share information online.”

There are some important things to note in this explanation.

The focus is on serious crime and national security investigations.
It’s critical for law enforcement and security.
The access to the data is lawful.
The emotive use of child exploitation to justify the need for this law.
So, you’d expect only law enforcement and security agencies investigating serious crimes to have warrantless access to the data, wouldn’t you? Well, more than 60 agencies have access to the data.

Now, we have six states and 10 federal territories, with local police forces. There’s the Australian Federal Police, ASIO (Australian Security Intelligence Organisation) and ASIS (Australian Secret Intelligence Service). By my estimations, that makes about nine police and security agencies. You can add perhaps another handful involved in military intelligence."



'via Blog this'

East Timor takes Australia to UN

SMH.com:



 "In the espionage operation, Australian Secret Intelligence Service agents pretended to be aid workers repairing East Timor's government offices. The spies inserted listening devices into the wall cavity of East Timor's cabinet office where its CMATS negotiating team met."



'via Blog this'

Plans for Australia's new cyber security strategy

Business Insider:



 "A boost of cyber skills within the government was also identified as a major importance, with the promise of an increase in size of the national Computer Emergency Response Team, which is the main point of call for major IT security issues. On top of that, the government also wants to increase the number of cyber security professionals within the Australian Federal Police, Crime Commission and the Australian Signals Directorate."



'via Blog this'

Bad timing for company tax cuts

 afr.com:



 "Swan now advocates increasing withholding tax on profits and royalties repatriated overseas. Pat McConnell, a fellow in Macquarie University's Applied Finance Centre, says extending the existing reporting and checking requirements on Australian banks would let ATO better follow overseas money trails. The Australian Signals Directorate and its overseas partners could also gather more electronic information on tax avoidance."



'via Blog this'

Dual nationals involved in terror to lose citizenship | GulfNews.com

GulfNews.com:



 "Sydney: Australia, a staunch ally of the United States and its battle against militants in Iraq and Syria, said on Friday it would strip dual nationals convicted of terror-related crimes of citizenship."



'via Blog this'

Australia to strip dual nationals

"Australia has been on heightened alert for attacks by home-grown radicals. While nearly 200 people were suspected of being a domestic threat, Dutton said approximately 100 people had left Australia for Syria to fight alongside organizations such as Islamic State.

In addition, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation was working on 400 "high priority investigations" related to potential security threats, Dutton said."



'via Blog this'

Citizen board to decide dual-national fate

"Immigration Minister Peter Dutton confirmed on Friday the board met in February and would work with several agencies, including Australian spies and government departments, to send dual citizens back to their country of origin."



'via Blog this'

Hacking Team loses open-ended export license

"The data was posted on the internet, and revealed that the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, Victoria's Independent Broad-based Anti-Corruption Agency and two local police forces had either purchased or looked into buying Hacking Team software."



'via Blog this'

'It's a travesty': family pleads with Peter Dutton

 "An Australian family has been torn apart after the immigration minister, Peter Dutton, cancelled a man’s visa on the basis of a secret security assessment and placed him in detention."



'via Blog this'

Lindt siege inquest hears Man Monis was a mentally ill man

"The inquest into the deaths of Monis and hostages Tori Johnson and Katrina Dawson has previously heard that Monis had come to be regarded as a "serial pest" to the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation after he provided numerous, useless tip-offs to the spy agency."



'via Blog this'

Top level specialists needed for cyber war

"The tender is being handled by the Australian Signals Directorate, the long-established radio interception, computer security and monitoring agency which provides ICT service and capability for itself and its two partners in the Defence Intelligence Agencies, the Australian Geospatial Organisation and the Defence Intelligence Organisation (which does all-source intelligence analysis)."



'via Blog this'

The secret antennas of US spy base Pine Gap

"According to a recent policy report by the Nautilus Institute for Security and Sustainability, The Antennas of Pine Gap, the Australian government is far more involved in these controversial events than our distant, sunny disposition would have us believe."



'via Blog this'

ASIS chief Nick Warner slammed

 "The Australian Secret Intelligence Service provided the security advice that denied one of its former spies a passport to travel to a tribunal hearing at The Hague on the grounds he could be "cultivated by a foreign power". The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation usually provides such assessments."



'via Blog this'

Senator Jacqui Lambie calls for ASIO action

 "TASMANIAN Senator Jacqui Lambie wants the 190 Australians on ASIO’s official terrorist watch list to be arrested and charged in the wake of the bombings in Brussels."



'via Blog this'

ASIO failure to hand over intelligence

 "A dispute between ASIO and ­Victoria Police over an apparent failure to pass on critical intelligence about Numan Haider’s ­descent into extremism has interrupted a coroner’s inquest into the teenager’s fatal shooting."



'via Blog this'

Mustapha El Ossman's family discuss Villawood detention after Asio assessment – video | Australia news | The Guardian

"Mariam Albaf, the wife of Mustapha El Ossman, speaks about the toll her husband’s detention in Villawood has taken on her family. Her husband’s visa was cancelled by the immigration minister, Peter Dutton, on the basis of an Asio security assessment. El Ossman potentially faces indefinite detention in Villawood and is unable to seek a review of the Asio decision on its merits because he is not an Australian citizen. Abdul Albaf, Mariam’s brother, also speaks about the impact El Ossman’s detention has had on his relationship with his daughter, Haffa Arwa Albaf"



'via Blog this'

Islamic State security concerns feed divisions in Liberal ranks | afr.com

 "Senior business figures have been distracted by a chilling warning from ASIO, Australia's domestic intelligence agency, about the online reach into our workplaces of Islamic State."



'via Blog this'

Labor MP Andrew Leigh’s search for who leaked secret Iraq report

"In March that year Andrew Wilkie quit as an intelligence analyst at the Office of National Assessments and went public with his criticism of the decision by the government of John Howard to join the invasion of Iraq."



'via Blog this'