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Australian Spy Agency Seeks Permission To Hack Third-Party Computers

Posted by Soulskill on from the you-are-doing-it-wrong dept.

New submitter LordLucless writes "ASIO, Australia's spy agency, is pushing for the ability to lawfully hijack peoples' computers — even if they are not under suspicion of any crime. They seek the ability to gain access to a third party's computer in order to facilitate gaining access to the real target — essentially using any person's personal computer as a proxy for their hacking attempts. The current legislation prohibits any action by ASIO that, among other things, interferes with a person's legitimate use of their computer. Conceivably, over-turning this restriction would give ASIO the ability to build their own bot-net of compromised machines. Perhaps inevitably, they say these changes are required to help them catch terrorists."

5 of 210 comments (clear)

  1. How do we stop them? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I am an Australian. Assume this passes. How can I harden my computer against being used as a node in an ASIO botnet?

    The only thing I can think of at the moment is to use Linux and make sure I've closed all uncessary ports...?

    What else? I am not a security buff. Encryption doesn't seem particularly useful, since the problem here isn't that ASIO is accessing our files (although they would probably definitely be doing that too), but that they're using our bandwidth and processing resources.

    1. Re:How do we stop them? by jamesh · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I am an Australian. Assume this passes. How can I harden my computer against being used as a node in an ASIO botnet?

      Over here! We have a troublemaker!

      Seriously though, I wouldn't worry too much. All the hardening you already do to you computer to keep the existing viruses out will be just fine. The only possible problem will be that the antivirus vendors may be persuaded to ignore government sanctioned malware, but such a thing will be self correcting when the malware authors figure out how to mimic government malware.

    2. Re:How do we stop them? by spazdor · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Or, if the ASIO really needs the resources it says it needs, let them go to the Australian people with their hat in their hands and ask for volunteers to run an Aussie-Government 'network agent' on their Internet-connected PCs to help them catch child molesters and plane-bombers for the good of the homeland, and if appeals to patriotism don't do the trick, let them offer money, and we'll find out how much a person's Internet privacy sells for on the open market.

      --
      DRM: Terminator crops for your mind!
    3. Re: How do we stop them? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Not really the AG is pretty high up. She is a totalitarian bitch though, along with Conroy they plan to make Australia worse than China. I am honestly considering moving countries because both major parties are evil.
      I really hope the Green party have something to say about this, they seem to be the only voice of reason in regards to anything in relation to privacy and government powers.
      Time for a massive change in politics in Australia.

  2. What happens if you get rid of their backdoor.. by NettiWelho · · Score: 4, Interesting

    You get charged with interfering with law enforcement operation?