Forwarded From: Nicholas Brawn <nickat_private> http://www.smh.com.au/news/9903/26/pageone/pageone3.html Friday, March 26, 1999 ASIO cleared to hack into computers By BERNARD LAGAN and BEN POWER Australia's domestic spy agency, ASIO, will be given sweeping powers to hack into computers and place tracking devices on people and cars. In the most far-reaching upgrade in a decade to ASIO's powers, the agency will also be permitted to collect foreign intelligence in Australia and pass the information to the Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS), the foreign spy agency. The Federal Government is acting on the recommendations of a secret report by ASIO's former deputy director, Mr Gerard Walsh, which was mistakenly sent to public libraries and published on the Internet late last year. His report - copies of which were later recalled by the Attorney-General's Department - urged that ASIO be given the power to "hack" a nominated computer system to "secure access to that system or evidence of an electronic attack on a computer system". The Attorney-General, Mr Williams, told Parliament yesterday the agency would be able to access data stored on computers "through other means which cannot presently be used". The changes will allow ASIO officers, with ministerial approval, to gain access to data stored in computers by "remote access" - commonly referred to as hacking. The change appears to give ASIO very broad powers to hack into any computer system. An explanatory memorandum issued by the Government about the changes says: "The effect is to provide the minister with the power to authorise ASIO to access and copy computer data where unauthorised access is otherwise prohibited by Commonwealth or State or Territory law." For the first time ASIO will have the powers to install tracking devices on vehicles or even people - the devices are small beacons which transmit signals to other locations. Mr Williams told Parliament the devices were necessary for the more efficient use of ASIO's resources. The Walsh report had strongly urged that ASIO be allowed to use tracking devices, saying "the absence of this investigative tool is a privation for the Australian Federal Police, the National Crime Authority and ASIO". Other changes will allow ASIO to expand its foreign intelligence gathering within Australia by dispensing with the present need for it to obtain a special warrant for each case. According to the Government the change will allow ASIO to supplement foreign intelligence gathered by other agencies, such as ASIS. ASIO will be able to use information from the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) to follow money trails. The changes also mean ASIO will be permitted to carry out security assessments during the Olympics. -o- Subscribe: mail majordomoat_private with "subscribe isn". Today's ISN Sponsor: Hacker News Network [www.hackernews.com]
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