Oz infosec boffins call for mature threat debate

The Register:

"The University of NSW / Australian Defence Force Academy-run Australian Centre for Cybersecurity reckons the government needs to tip AU$1 billion annually into cyber-security."



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Australia's cyber security strategy must be strengthened

smh:

"The strategy, launched by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in April, came with an acknowledgement Australia was prepared to take offensive action to protect the national interest.

The funding boost came after $400 million was allocated for staff with hacking experience at the Australian Signals Directorate and the announcement of 800 new intelligence and cyber roles within the Department of Defence."



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​Optus Business, Macquarie Uni to invest AU$10m in cybersecurity hub

ZDNet:

"Optus Business and Macquarie University will jointly invest AU$10 million to establish a cybersecurity hub that will provide research, degree programs, executive and business short courses, professional recruiting opportunities, and consultancy services to the private sector and government agencies."



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Government's cyber security strategy falls short of global standards

afr.com:

"The Turnbull government's cyber security strategy has come under fire from University of New South Wales professors for failing to match up to the policies of its western counterparts when it comes to spending, education, threat identification and critical infrastructure protection.

According to the UNSW discussion paper released on Monday, the government has pledged less money to the problem and failed to adequately address the critical skills shortage, instead focusing on raising awareness and "cyber hygiene"."



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Dili draws a line in the sand over sea boundaries

Nikkei Asian Review:

"A 2006 treaty shelved the boundary issue for 50 years and gave East Timor a 50% share in the Greater Sunrise gas field, which sits in the disuputed zone, up from the 18% it would have received without the treaty. But East Timor maintains that the deal has been voided by revelations that Australian spies eavesdropped on Timorese negotiators during the negotiations in the mid-2000s."



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Election 2016: Shadow of long-forgotten Iraq falls over campaign

 afr.com:

"The 2003 decision to invade Iraq was just as controversial then as it remains today, in the US, the UK and in Australia.

Part of the political drama that played out here involved an officer of an arm of Australia's national security establishment. In the Office of National Assessments, Andrew Wilkie resigned in protest in early 2003 at what he claimed was government manipulation of intelligence material on Iraq (and became an MP in 2010)."



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Why Chinese investment is nowhere near as big as you think

 afr.com:

"Some are keen to suggest it is. When the lease to operate Darwin Port was sold to a Chinese privately owned company last year, some defence hawks claimed this might facilitate spying by the Chinese state and undermine Australia's security alliance with the US.

But the chiefs of the Department of Defence, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) and the Australian Defence Force (ADF) all rejected such fearmongering."



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ASIO just doing its job on Paul Dibb KGB probe: ex-spy officer

theAustralian:

A former ASIO officer has def­ended the spy agency’s decision to investigate defence expert Paul Dibb about his contacts with KGB agents in the Cold War.

“ASIO was just doing its job when it investigated Dibb,” said Molly Sasson, who worked on the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation’s Soviet espionage desk in Canberra in the 1970s."



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More eyes on ransomware

IT World Canada News:

"On Saturday the Globe and Mail reported that the Five Eyes group of intelligence-sharing countries — Canada, the U.S., Britain, Australia and New Zealand — are making a major effect to attack the sources of ransomware. One RCMP official is quoted as saying it looks like criminals are industrializing cybercrime with ransomware."



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Wilkie denies leaking top secret document

The Mercury:

 "“The facts of this matter are as follows,” Mr Wilkie said yesterday.

“In early 2003 I resigned as a senior intelligence analyst at the Office of National Assessments over the Government’s fraudulent reasons for joining in the invasion of Iraq."



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CIA secret assessment: Bob Hawke brash, Gareth Evans brilliant

theAustralian:

"A secret CIA dossier on the Hawke government in 1988 ­describes Bob Hawke as brash, ­irreverent and willing to act against US interests for domestic politics while Gareth Evans was a brilliant but arrogant and ­impatient foreign minister."



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AFP suspected Andrew Wilkie of leaking ‘top secret’ security document

theAustralian:

 "The police findings from 2004 are a disappointment for Labor as it has long suspected the highly classified document, which Mr Wilkie had helped produce as an intelligence analyst at the Office of National Assessments, was leaked in June 2003 by an adviser in ­Alexander Downer’s office, Josh Frydenberg, now a cabinet minister in the Turnbull government."



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Terror risk has escalated tenfold, says academic

theAustralian:

 "Professor Barton noted that the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation and Australian Federal Police had been bolstered considerably. “But there is no way we can increase the ­resources tenfold to match a tenfold increase in the number of people of concern,’’ Professor Barton said."



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New mini-series Secret City puts Canberra on the world stage

canberraTimes:

 "And when they needed some locations to shoot internals, Chris Uhlmann simply called Canberra Airport managing director Stephen Byron – "Is there anyone in Canberra Chris doesn't know?" asks Werner – who came to the party with locations to set up the Prime Minister's office and the supposed offices of the Australian Signals Directorate, complete with mobile phone lockers and eye scanners."



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CIA ‘sent agent to probe KGB tie’, says 1977 report

theAustralian:

 "The CIA believed ASIO had been penetrated by the KGB during the Fraser government years and sent a senior agent to uncover the suspected mole.

Damning confidential documents from that time reveal the US Central Intelligence Agency believed ASIO had no idea of the sophistication of Soviet spy ­activities in Australia in the late 1970s and the threat they posed to the Western alliance."



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ASIO sting the ultimate betrayal

theAustralian:

"In Moscow this week, retired KGB agent Lev Koshlyakov broke a 30-year silence to admit that he always suspected Australia’s pre-eminent defence analyst, Paul Dibb, had lived a double life as an Australian spy."



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Japan on Olympic hacking mission

 The Register:

"Governments around the world have in recent years created departments charged with bringing together critical infrastructure operators including those running utilities, banks, and transport.

In Australia that effort is part of the Trusted Information Sharing Network and the overhauled Australian Cyber Security Centre."



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The road to a police state: how 'anti-terrorism' is destroying democracy

Red Flag:

"One of the major legal transformations associated with the introduction of the various anti-terror acts in the 15 years since 9/11 has been the normalisation of the idea that you can be charged with a crime that you have yet to commit.

The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) has the right to seek warrants that allow the detention of someone suspected or someone related to someone suspected of considering a terror offence. This person can be detained in custody with no right to confidential legal counsel and no right to see the evidence brought against them."



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Could Australia's Tougher FDI Review Put Off Further Chinese Investment? | Economy Watch

Economy Watch:

"In response to recent Chinese interest in infrastructure assets, the Australian government is under pressure to tighten its foreign investment review framework on national security grounds.

So far, the changes have been measured. The Treasurer has made the sale of state government-owned critical infrastructure assets to privately owned foreign companies subject to review by Treasury’s Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB). David Irvine, former Director-General of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) and a former ambassador to China, was also appointed to FIRB to boost its capacity to provide national security advice to the Treasurer."



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FBI: Sydney Siege Gunman had Raised Incitement Concerns

voNews:

"Monis was on authorities' radars for years before the siege. He arrived in Australia on a business visa in 1996 and was made a citizen in 2004. Before being granted citizenship, he was interviewed by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation multiple times for security assessments required as part of the immigration process. The agency ultimately found he wasn't a security risk."



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Australia's indefinite detention of refugees illegal

The Guardian:

"The latest adjudication by the UN human rights committee relates to five refugees – one Iranian, three Sri Lankan Tamils and one Afghan Hazara – who were illegally detained between 2009 and 2015 because the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation had made an “adverse security assessment” against each of them.


'We are the forgotten people': the anguish of Australia's 'invisible' asylum seekers
Read more
They were recognised as refugees by Australia – “for whom return to their countries of origin was unsafe” the committee said – but were refused visas on security grounds."



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It's about time Australian businesses invested in cyber security

SecurityBrief Australia:

"Cyber crime costs Australia upwards of a billion dollars every year, and many large companies have been the target of malicious attacks, including Kmart, David Jones, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, The Royal Melbourne Hospital and Australian Government Parliamentary Services. 

However, many Australian businesses also fail to publicly acknowledge that they have been breached, meaning this figure may well be higher. Indeed, the Australian Signals Directorate was called in to review more than 1,200 cyber attacks last year, up from 940 in 2014, while at least 60 attacks plagued Australian energy networks in 2014-2015.  "



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Election 2016: how a change of government in Australia might change the world

smh:

 "Labor has pledged to open "good faith" talks with East Timor to carve up the sea boundary, which dictates who owns rich underwater oil and gas deposits. The background to this policy is complex, but put simply, East Timor is livid about revelations that Australian spies bugged the cabinet office in the tiny nation back in 2004, just as a treaty dividing the resources was being negotiated."



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Privacy: why does it matter?

Lexology:

"Take steps to secure the information you hold. The OAIC and the Australian Signals Directorate provide useful guidance on the steps you should take."



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CIVSEC 2016 Australia New Zealand Civil Security Summit Announced

SourceSecurity.com:

"The critical civil security challenges facing Australia during the next three to five years will be put under the spotlight at the CIVSEC 2016 Summit."



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Symantec appoints Brian Fletcher for government affairs

ARN:

 "Security vendor, Symantec, has hired Brian Fletcher as its new director of government affairs covering A/NZ, Japan and Korea.

In the new role, based in Canberra, Fletcher will be responsible for leading Symantec’s engagement with governments and stakeholders on public policy, expanding public-private partnerships and providing advice on cybercrime issues in the region.

Fletcher maintains more than 21 years of Australian government service and was recently the director of cyber security relationships for the Australian Signals Directorate at the Australian Cyber Security Centre, where he led the development of cybersecurity policy and partnerships with industry and federal, state and territory governments."



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Malcolm Turnbull won't back Brandis as both sides go to war on terror

afr.com:

"With both parties dredging through years' old statements by rival candidates to discredit them on national security and asylum seekers, Senator Brandis said that Peta Murphy, who is trying to wrest the seat of Dunkley from the Liberal Party, should be dumped because of her "tolerant attitude" towards terrorist organisations.

In 2009, Ms Murphy was a signatory on a submission by Liberty Victoria sent to then Labor attorney-general Robert McClelland calling on him to deny the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation and the police stronger powers to detain ­terror suspects without charge.

But when asked twice by reporters on Sunday whether he believed Ms Murphy should be dumped, Mr Turnbull said "I'm not going to comment on the candidate, the Labor candidate"."



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Labor candidate Peta Murphy fought own party’s crackdown on jihadis

HeraldSun:

"Peta Murphy, contesting the southeast Melbourne seat of Dunkley, was among a group of lawyers who put their names to a submission calling on the government to deny the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation and the police stronger powers to detain ­terror suspects without charge."



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Britain’s Exit from EU Would Be Damaging

voaNews:

"But the other Five Eyes members want Britain to stay in the European Union, because it makes it easier for them to co-operate via Britain with European intelligence agencies, both in practical and legal ways."



'via Blog this'

Australian “Anzac Day plot” boy entrapped by police

World Socialist Web Site:

"The entire police case seems to be based on communications between a vulnerable boy and an undercover police agent. The police have said the youngster was placed on a police “de-radicalisation” program when he was 15, following a highly-publicised raid on his family’s home in May 2015 by police and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO)."



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Financial Services IT Professionals Overconfident in Breach Detection

businessWire:

 "Tripwire’s study is based on seven key security controls required by a wide variety of compliance regulations, including PCI DSS, SOX, NERC CIP, MAS TRM, NIST 800-53, CIS 20 Critical Controls and IRS 1075. These controls also align with the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) recommendations and international security guidance such as the Australian Signals Directorate’s Strategies to Mitigate Targeted Cyber Intrusions."



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Yahoo's second wave of declassified FISC docs

scMagazine:

 "Yahoo recently secured the release of the second wave of once-secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) documents that detail the firm's dispute with the federal government concerning the release of user data as part of the National Security Agency's controversial PRISM program."



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Protect Your Data And Reputation In Five Steps

Dynamic Business Australia:

"Protecting customer and company data is a major concern facing Australian businesses today. No doubt this business dilemma has been intensified by the rise in cyber attacks upon organisations of all sizes, affecting their ability to keep data secure.  According to the Australian Signals Directorate cyber attacks on Australian businesses and government increased by 20 percent in 2014. More concerning are figures from the Australian Cyber Security Centre claiming that the total cost of cybercrime in Australia is likely to be over $AUD 1 billion per year."



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Risk-based cybersecurity for government agencies

The Mandarin:

 "“It’s important to ensure that it’s not addressed or used as a rote compliance model, a checklist or a regulation,” said Brown, a former director of cybersecurity co-ordination at the United States Department of Homeland Security who spoke at the Australian Cyber Security Centre conference."



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ISIS wannabes arrested over alleged plan

new.com.au:

"Mr Brandis said last week that Australian Security Intelligence Organisation advised him there were still about 110 Australian foreign fighters in Iraq or Syria. Between 50 and 60 Australians are believed to have been killed fighting with IS."



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National security takes centre stage in European Union referendum campaign

Business Reporter:

"The UK’s most valuable intelligence-sharing deal was with the Five Eyes group of the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
“Within the EU, intelligence sharing doesn’t work effectively,” he said."



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Trump’s rise causes disquiet in Australian ruling circles

World Socialist Web Site:

"Figures within the Australian security establishment, where there are close ties to Washington, have expressed alarm that a Trump presidency might signal a waning US commitment to Australia’s interests. Former Australian Security Intelligence Organisation director-general David Irvine told an Australian Strategic Policy Institute conference in Canberra last month that a Trump victory would “totally overturn the Asia-Pacific applecart, with a nuclear Japan or a nuclear South Korea.” The foundation of Asia-Pacific security would be “turned on its head” and Australia would have to significantly increase its own military capability."



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Telco services panel tenders being accepted by government

ZDNet:

"Contractors would also be expected to comply with the government's many varying security requirements, and encrypt data in an Australian Signals Directorate-approved manner."



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Insurance companies to benefit from ASX100 cyber security scheme

smh:

"Insurance companies and consulting firms are likely to be the big winners in the government's plan to introduce voluntary cyber security health checks at Australia's biggest companies. 

The health checks, part of the government's $230 million Cyber Security Strategy announced last month, will be coordinated by the Australian Securities Exchange and offered to top-100 listed companies."



'via Blog this'

National security takes centre stage

 Daily Mail Online:

"The UK's most valuable intelligence-sharing deal was with the Five Eyes group of the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand."



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Chinese Rich Listers were top Australian clients

smh:

"The client list includes Li Ka Shing, whose $US31.1 billion fortune was not troubled by his $396 million fight with the Australian Tax Office; Thomas and Raymond Kwok, whose Hong Kong property empire (which includes Wilson Parking and Wilson Security in Australia) is valued at $US14.7 billion; Hui Ka Yan, whose Evergrande Real Estate group is worth $US9.8 billion; and Chinese billionaire Liang Guangwei, a former People's Liberation Army soldier and head of a state-backed technology conglomerate who recently bought a $64 million block of land next to the new headquarters of the Australian spy agency."



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ACMA review proposes 'full-stack' comms regulation

Telco/ISP - iTnews:

"In its draft report, the Communications department suggested ACMA's revenue collection be handled by the Australian Tax Office, and the agency's cyber security programs be transferred to the Attorney-General's Department for integration with the Australian Cyber Security Centre."



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Talking Point: Kidman farms sale snag

The Mercury:

"However, the Government supported the Foreign Investment Review Board recommendation to block the sale. FIRB cited concern about the portion of Anna Creek Station within the occasional use “green zone” of the Woomera Prohibited Area, and the sheer size of the area in the portfolio. Anna Creek, the world’s largest cattle station, covers 23,677 square kilometres, about a quarter of the Kidman landholding.

As a result, the owners removed Anna Creek from the overall sale and listed it separately. They made it clear it would be listed for sale at the same time as the remainder of the business went to market. A deal was done with a Chinese investor to sell the portfolio, excluding Anna Creek."



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Australian Federal Police fall short on cyber security

 Computerworld:

"The Australian Federal Police are not yet in compliance with the government’s mandated ‘Top 4’ security strategies, an audit has found.

According to the Australian Signals Directorate, which maintains the government's Information Security Manual (ISM), the ‘Top 4’ strategies can prevent at least 85 per cent of the targeted cyber intrusions that it responds to."



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Australian IS operative killed in Iraq

 The West Australian:

"The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation has estimated about 110 Australians are fighting with IS in Syria."



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Surveillance breaks Fourth Amendment

sidneydailynews.com:

"The lead intelligence agency responsible for these spying systems and mass surveillance is the NSA (National Security Agency). Snowden revealed the NSA’s surveillance program called PRISM which according to Laura Poitras and Gellman Barton from the Washington Post has “Collection directly from the servers of these U.S. Service Providers: Microsoft, Yahoo, Google, Facebook, PalTalk, AOL, Skype, YouTube, Apple.”"



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Laying the Glenariff Apartments foundations

Community Newspaper Group:

"City of Gosnells Mayor Olwen Searle recently joined PRDnationwide WA director Angus Murray and Thomas Building director Alan Thomas at the Glenariff Apartments site to witness the laying of its foundations."



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Big Budget Push For Cyber-Security

channelnews:

"Some $38.8 million will be spent moving the Australian Cyber Security Centre from its current home in ASIO’s Canberra HQ, while $12.3 million is being set aside to assess vulnerabilities in government systems and $3.5 million will go towards establishment of more cyber security educational institutions."



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Industry question Cyber Security Strategy investment and progress

australianDefence:

"Responding to First Assistant Secretary (Cyber Policy and Intelligence Division) Lynwen Connick’s address about the opportunities and challenges emerging from the strategy costed at $233.1 million over the next four years, Australian Iinformation Industry Association’s CEO, Rob Fitzpatrick queried whether it measured up to similar overseas programs."



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Budget has a bit of everything for IT

theAustralian:

"Raiding Defence’s coffers makes sense given that the government is aligning the initiative as part of a broader national defence agenda. Around $39m of the total allocated sum will go towards the relocation of the Australian Cyber Security Centre, while $30 will be deployed to build a Cyber Security Growth Centre with the private sector to co-ordinate a national cyber security innovation network. Meanwhile, $47m will be spent to establish joint intelligence sharing centres in capital cities."



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S Kidman’s $370m deal off the table

AdelaideNow:

"Kidman & Co last year agreed to sell Anna Creek station in central SA separately because part of it is located with the Woomera Prohibited Area. Mr Morrison had blocked a sale to foreign investors which included Anna Creek reportedly for national security reasons."



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ASIO has its funding cut

SBS News:

"The Turnbull government has cut funding for ASIO by almost $15 million.

Despite being the lead security agency responsible for dealing with Australians who have joined IS, the federal government announced on Tuesday that ASIO's funding would be cut to $519 million in 2016-17."



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Budget 2016: Australian Cyber Strategy implementation broken out

ZDNet:

"Out of the Department of Defence will come AU$38.8 million to relocate the Australian Cyber Security Centre; AU$1.3 million will be used to conduct cyber assessments on Commonwealth entities; and AU$11 million will be used to find vulnerabilities in Commonwealth systems. All up, Defence will hand over AU$51.1 million over four years."



'via Blog this'

Australian Signals Directorate updates ‘Top 4’ security guides

Computerworld:

"The Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) has updated a number of its guides to implementing its ‘Top 4’ security strategies for mitigating targeted cyber intrusions."



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Trust a vital asset as NZ faces future

 NZ Herald News:

"To give just one example, one of the currently neglected areas is "incidentally gathered information". Electronic surveillance tends to "vacuum up" vast amounts of information. Most is undoubtedly discarded by the likes of the GCSB but currently it can be sent to its partners in the Five-Eyes network who can do what they want with it."



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Rejecting a Chinese bid for land is in 'the national interest'?

The Drum (Australian Broadcasting Corporation):

"We were told Australia was open for business, and yet when a Chinese group bid on S Kidman & Co. estate, Scott Morrison stood in the way and gave us little more than a hazy "national interest" explanation, writes Chris Berg."



'via Blog this'

The government is the real threat

Red Flag:

"The Australian government has not only participated in creating this global surveillance regime but also carries out its own surveillance in Australia and the region. In 2013, it was revealed that the Australian Signals Directorate had attempted to monitor the phone calls of the Indonesian president and several senior officials."



'via Blog this'

Australian-Syrian Dual Citizen Suspected of Terrorism

australianNetworkNews:

"The government took such a move based on the frequency of reports which stated the nation was under maximum threat from home-grown radicals. Reuters reported in April that the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation has been working on 400 investigations, keeping it on high priority as they were potential threats to Australia, the minister said."



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Recruitment drive for cyber security specialists

canberraTimes:

"The funding boost comes after another $400 million was allocated to pay for staff with hacking experience to work for the Australian Signals Directorate, a key intelligence agency."



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Australian PM: We Would Welcome UK Remaining In The EU

huffingtonPost: "“And of course we have very similar views on so many issues, so many strategic issues, we are very close allies, Britain is part of the Five Eyes group or alliance in terms of intelligence so from our point of view it is an unalloyed plus for Britain to remain in the EU.”"



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Shot teen Numan Haider ‘set on fighting for Islamic State’

theAustralian:

"Numan Haider was determined to travel to Syria and wage violent jihad for the emerging terror group ISIL months before he made the fatal decision to attack counter-terrorism detectives at a suburban police station, according to ASIO intelligence."



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‘It was a game’: former Timor PM

The New Daily:

"The arbitration became public after Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIO) raided the home of a former spy, identified as Witness K, and the offices of Canberra-based lawyer Bernard Collaery."



'via Blog this'

Start-up’s app tips family law settlements

theAustralian:

"Developed by the now de-funded Commonwealth Research Centre, the tool has been used by the Department of Defence Intelligence Organisation for geopolitical scenario modelling and war gaming."



'via Blog this'

66% of USB Flash Drives infected

iTWir

"And the recent Australian Cyber Security Centre (ASC) conference, 12-14 April in Canberra, imposed tight new regulations on USB usage, with presenters prohibited from bringing slides in on the devices. USBs were not able to be included in satchel bags nor handed out at booths, in the interest of cyber security."



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Cyber crimes: The tip of the iceberg

Al Jazeera English:

"It is ranked as one of the fastest-growing areas of crime in the world by Interpol.

Cyber criminals are increasingly exploiting the speed, convenience and anonymity of modern technology to target individuals, corporations and governments."



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Cyber crime: The rise of the digital mafia

 Al Jazeera English:

"Cyber theft has long replaced the 'traditional' concept of bank robberies. A much more sophisticated method of attack that has been in use for years has accelerated of late as a slew of hacks across the world has proven."



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