Internet service provider iiNet has again condemned the government's proposed data retention scheme as "mass surveillance". In a response to a government consultation paper on the scheme, the ISP also takes issue with what it describes as ambiguity regarding the data that telcos would have to retain.
A mandatory data retention scheme could be difficult and expensive for Telstra, according to the telco’s chief risk officer.
The Senate has rejected an attempt by the Greens to impose a limit on the number of devices that can be covered by a single computer access warrant obtained by ASIO.
An inquiry has recommended parliament passes national security legislation that would expand ASIO's ability to hack into third party computers in order to access target systems.
The New South Wales police has declined to comment on a WikiLeaks report that alleges the state police agency uses FinFisher malware for surveillance purposes.
You wouldn't likely know if you are under cell phone surveillance, but you would if you were about to make a call and your phone displayed an unencrypted connection warning that states, "Caution: The mobile network's standard encryption has been turned off, possibly by a rogue base station (IMSI Catcher'). Unencrypted calls not recommended."
In the 12 months to 30 June 2014, Telstra received close to 85,000 requests from government agencies for customer information . Of these, the overwhelming majority did not involve warrants, a report issued by the telco has revealed.
The Senate has voted to extend the reporting deadline of the inquiry into reform of the Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act 1979. The inquiry, chaired by Greens Senator Scott Ludlam, had been due to table its final report last night.
Attorney-General George Brandis has reiterated the government's intention to introduce a mandatory data retention regime but failed to answer a query by Greens Senator Scott Ludlam on what the cost of such a scheme is likely to be.
Industry peak body, the Communications Alliance, says it is working with the government to “provide greater clarity and precision to a government proposal for a data retention regime”.
Civil liberties organisation Electronic Frontiers Australia has warned that new ASIO powers proposed by the federal government could compromise the security of third party computer systems.
Because targets of ASIO surveillance are becoming increasingly security conscious, the intelligence agency requires more flexibility in how it hacks into computer systems, the Attorney-General's Department today told a parliamentary inquiry into national security law reform.
Targeted "preservation notices" issued under the Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act together with stored communications warrants offer an alternative to the mass surveillance dragnet implied by a mandatory data retention scheme, according to Internet service provider iiNet.
A data retention scheme by its very nature would require the collection of large amounts of data, potentially increasing the risk of security breaches that could reveal the personal information of large numbers of Australians, the privacy commissioner has warned.
There's no need for the public and the press to get themselves overly excited about the government's proposal to introduce data retention legislation, according to ASIO's chief, director general David Irvine, and Australian Federal Police deputy commissioner Andrew Colvin.