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Aussie Spies Spooked By Cyberwar

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the what-is-it-good-for dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Wikileaks cables released overnight revealed that Australia's top cyber spy agency (akin to the NSA) was unprepared for cyberwar in the view of other intelligence agencies in 2008. Australian agencies were so concerned they asked US intelligence to provide the framework to defend the country's critical information infrastructure, modelling on the Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative. Spooks also discussed how Israel was preparing to take down Iran's nuclear program and how to stay relevant when so much information that was classified was now open source and available to anyone."

11 of 72 comments (clear)

  1. In retrospect... by gandhi_2 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ...asking the US for tips on information security wasn't probably the best idea.

    --
    THL phish sticks
    1. Re:In retrospect... by TapeCutter · · Score: 3, Funny

      At least the US knows where to find the documents, one of our MP's is still trying to locate them.

      --
      And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.
  2. Heh. by Black+Parrot · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Spooks also discussed how Israel was preparing to take down Iran's nuclear program and how to stay relevant when so much information that was classified was now open source and available to anyone.

    Well, they got *that* part right.

    --
    Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
  3. Re:This isn't surprising. by naz404 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Uhh... Does this mean Australia could have been taken down by Anonymous? They should have asked for help from Amazon instead :P

    --
    http://www.object404.com
  4. Re:This isn't surprising. by dwarfsoft · · Score: 4, Funny

    Australia would freely admit that they could be taken down by Anonymous, and therefore Anonymous would leave us alone.

    It's only if we were to taunt them that we would be in real trouble...

    --
    Cheers, Chris
  5. Re:This isn't surprising. by syousef · · Score: 4, Funny

    Australia would freely admit that they could be taken down by Anonymous, and therefore Anonymous would leave us alone.

    It's only if we were to taunt them that we would be in real trouble...

    Sounds like Anonymous Cowardice to me ;-)

    --
    These posts express my own personal views, not those of my employer
  6. Re:Complete solution in five words by MichaelSmith · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I think the root cause with the DSD is that they don't pay very well. I looked at it as a grad and it wasn't too bad. These days grads are probably pretty good in the crypto department but I doubt they get listened too inside the first twenty years. By that time the good ones have left.

    Ask yourself: why didn't they hire Julian Assange? I am sure the cultural reasons will fill several pages for a start.

    --
    http://michaelsmith.id.au
  7. T'was noisy pollies not noisy subs by dbIII · · Score: 4, Informative

    The subs are expensive things that whoever is in opposition likes to complain about and whoever is in government likes to use for pork. Minor problems were blown out of proportion, sometimes even after they had been fixed. Then there were things like expensive modifications were done to allow for extremely dodgy procurement deals which kept the subs out of the water. "Free trade" talks with the USA were not going well and it was difficult to get access to some people in US government, then suddenly there was a plan to buy a lot of surplus torpedoes of a size nobody makes anymore and modify the subs so that they will fit. The talks then went ahead and it was a problem for a later government to modify the subs again once that lot of torpedoes is unusable.
    It's not just subs, there was the purchase of the sprightly old Sea Sprites which were not safe to fly over water and had been considered obsolete in the 1970s. It had to be corruption because stupidity of that level would be inconsistant with making it to an adult age alive.

  8. Re:Commit Crime with Impunity by Merls+the+Sneaky · · Score: 4, Funny

    There is more than enough talent being trained in Australia, what we lack is a communication and "digital economy" minister that actually knows something about IT. They guy got locked out of his own iphone FFS.

    http://apcmag.com/how-conroys-daughter-wrecked-his-unsecured-iphone.htm

    They guy is clueless and just keeps pushing his censorship agenda. Oh and the useless NBN.
    http://www.itnews.com.au/News/154249,nbn-useless-without-subsea-investment.aspx

  9. Re:Complete solution in five words by MichaelSmith · · Score: 4, Informative

    Ask yourself: why didn't they hire Julian Assange? I am sure the cultural reasons will fill several pages for a start.

    Wait... Julian Assange has actual skills?!

    Yes [1] [2]

    --
    http://michaelsmith.id.au
  10. Re:Complete solution in five words by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    why didn't they hire Julian Assange

    Any organization that deals with information security has an obvious (and paradoxical) problem when hiring talent: The most talented (if not experienced) people in information technology as well as security are hackers. Hackers are young, curious, idealistic, independent and anti-authoritarian. The very traits that comprise their talent also make them a potential liability in a rigid command structure.