MPs on new committee will have access to national-security secrets

The Globe and Mail: "The federal government will entrust a new committee of parliamentarians with high-level national-security secrets, while cautioning members that any breach or leak would be a crime deserving of jail time."



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Up to 61 Australian jihadists killed

 9news.com.au: "Australian security authorities now reckon as many as 61 Australians have been killed while fighting with Islamist terror organisations in the Middle East."



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Former SAS Trooper Evan Donaldson Declines $1 Million Settlement Offer

huffingtonPost: "A former SAS trooper who alleges his identity was stolen and the event covered up by top Army brass has rejected a $1 million compensation offer from the Department of Defence because they refuse to recognise his prior military service."



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The lies surrounding the Sydney siege unravel

World Socialist Web Site: "The Sydney siege on December 15–16, 2014 has entered the international lexicon, along with the September 11, 2001 attacks on the US, the 2005 bombings in London and the latest attacks in Paris, as a justification for the bogus “war on terror.”"



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Salesforce joins government’s secure cloud services list

Computerworld: "Salesforce has been added to the Certified Cloud Services List (CCSL) maintained by the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD).

The company’s software as a service and platf"



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Higher security level coming to govt’s certified cloud list

Computerworld:

"Services certified to be used with information classified at the PROTECTED level are expected to be added to the government’s Certified Cloud Services List (CCSL) by the of the year, according to the Department of Defence."



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After Snowden, there is clear evidence of a paradigmatic shift in journalist-source relations

Comments from media industry experts:

 "Until Edward Snowden’s documents began to be published in June 2013 – again by the Guardian – no one other than the intelligence agencies and a handful of cabinet ministers knew the sheer scale of personal information that was being collected by GCHQ as part of the National Security Agency’s ‘Five Eyes’ network."



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Election 2016: AFP and Innovation Dept fail cybersecurity test

afr.com:

"The Australian National Audit Office, which conducted the audit, found the AFP and the Innovation Department did not comply with the "Top 4" security strategies recommended by the secretive electronic spy agency, the Australian Signals Directorate, that would deter 85 per cent of cyber crooks"



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Australian Federal Police ordered to reveal its report into Iraq war leak

new.com.au: "The Administrative Appeals Tribunal has ordered the Australia Federal Police to make public its report on the affair at 9am, June 17.
It is expected to reveal what police knew and suspected about the leaking, 13 years ago, of a top-secret intelligence paper written for the Office of National Assessment by Andrew Wilkie, now an MP."



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Australia’s Nick Xenophon: An “anti-politician”

World Socialist Web Site:

"Earlier this year, Xenophon joined the clamour against the leasing of Darwin’s civilian port to a Chinese company, echoing objections by US President Barack Obama. “I can’t believe Defence, and even ASIO [the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation], waved this through,” Xenophon told journalists."



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​Organisations should stop playing malware whack-a-mole

FireEye | ZDNet:

 "Previously, Scott Brown, senior tech with CERT Australia, said around 95 percent of malware in the country still arrives via email, with the volume of those emails "skyrocketing" at the beginning of 2016."



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Government Surveillance of U.S. Law Firms is About Power

 Big Law Business:

"Layton was reportedly representing Indonesia in trade negotiations with Australia on cigarette packaging and shrimp. The article said that the Australian Signals Directorate conducted the surveillance, which included attorney-client privilege information and offered to share it with the NSA."



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Timor-Leste Blazing a Trail for Maritime Dispute Resolution

The Diplomat:

"Flanked by two giant neighbors, Timor-Leste endured a 24-year occupation by Indonesia during which a quarter of its population – some 200,000 souls – perished. More recently, it has faced skulduggery and espionage, with Australian spies planting listening devices in the Timor-Leste prime minister’s offices during treaty consultations."



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EU referendum: Will Brexit make the UK more or less safe?

UK Politics | News | The Independent:

"Intelligence sharing between the US will not be affected by Brexit, Barack Obama has assured, although he added that it would be preferable for the UK to be inside the EU to push through reforms in the intelligence sector. It should be noted that the US and Britain share intelligence with Canada, Australia and New Zealand – the Five Eyes network – without any plans to extend this to the EU."



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Why you need to plan for IT disasters

BIT:

 "Not enough businesses are prepared for the worst, according to the former head of the Australian Cyber Security Centre.
If you rely on IT, it is important to think about business continuity and make plans for coping with failures or attacks, according to Major General Stephen Day, the former head of the Australian Cyber Security Centre and former Head of Cyber at the Department of Defence."



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ISIS, Fallujah: Loss of city would be fatal blow

GoldCoastBulletin:

"Mr Reed, a former Australian Secret Intelligence Service agent, said it was clear IS were holed up in a bitter fight to the end.

“The city is highly symbolic because it’s so close to the capital of Baghdad,” he said"



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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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