Hopefully Prime Minister Abbott will handle this Snowden revelation better than the last

The Age  24 November 2013:

Singapore and South Korea are playing key roles helping the United States and Australia tap undersea telecommunications links across Asia, according to top secret documents leaked by former US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden. New details have also been revealed about the involvement of Australia and New Zealand in the interception of global satellite communications.

A top secret United States National Security Agency map shows that the US and its “Five Eyes” intelligence partners tap high speed fibre optic cables at 20 locations worldwide. The interception operation involves cooperation with local governments and telecommunications companies or else through “covert, clandestine” operations.

The undersea cable interception operations are part of a global web that in the words of another leaked NSA planning document enables the “Five Eyes” partners – the US, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and New Zealand - to trace “anyone, anywhere, anytime” in what is described as “the golden age” signals intelligence.

The NSA map, published by Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad overnight, shows that the United States maintains a stranglehold on trans-Pacific communications channels with interception facilities on the West coast of the United States and at Hawaii and Guam, tapping all cable traffic across the Pacific Ocean as well as links between Australia and Japan.

The map confirms that Singapore, one of the world's most significant telecommunications hubs, is a key “third party” working with the “Five Eyes” intelligence partners.....

http://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2013/11/23/nsa-infected-50000-computer-networks-with-malicious-software/

The Guardian 27 November 2013:

Indonesia's president has said that his country will restore normal diplomatic relations with Australia if prime minister Tony Abbott signs up to a new bilateral code of ethics on intelligence-shariing.
But Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono also said that his government would summon Singaporean and South Korean diplomats in Jakarta over reports they had assisted Australian and US spying in the region.

Howard and Switkowski allowed U.S. to commence spying on Telstra customers from 29 November 2001 onwards

Former Australian Prime Minister John Howard and former Telstra CEO and current Chancellor of RMIT University Dr Zygmunt "Ziggy" Switkowski have a lot to answer for - as do their respective cabinet ministers and telco chair and board members.

It is noted that Opposition Leader Tony Abbott was a cabinet minister in the Howard Government during the period in which this secret data collection and retention agreement was negotiated and signed, as was National Party Leader Warren Truss. Both men are standing at the forthcoming federal election.

Telstra’s current Chair, Catherine Livingstone, was also an independent non-executive director on the board at the time the agreement was negotiated and signed, whilst current CEO David Thodey was Group Managing Director of Telstra Mobiles in 2001 and was not appointed to the position of Group Managing Director Telstra Enterprise and Government until December 2002.

Telstra must reveal all on secret deal with FBI

12 Jul 2013 | Scott Ludlam Media Release
Broadband, Communications & the Digital Economy

The Greens have called on Telstra to immediately disclose details of a secret deal, revealed by Crikey today, which was struck 12 years ago to allow the FBI and US Department of Justice to monitor calls and data traffic via the company's undersea cables.

"Telstra, at the time majority owned and controlled by the Howard Government, struck a deal to allow 24/7 surveillance of calls going in and out of the United States, including calls made by Australians. The cables in question are operated by Telstra subsidiary Reach, which controls more than 40 major telecommunications cables in the region, including cables in and out of China and Australia," said Greens communications spokesperson Senator Scott Ludlam.

"While the current Australian Government recently pushed then abandoned a two-year mandatory data retention scheme, for more than a decade this secret deal with the United States compelled Telstra, Reach and PCCW to store all customer billing data for two years.

"The deal also compelled Telstra, Reach and PCWW to provide any stored communications and comply with preservation requests; to provide any stored meta-data, billing data or subscriber information about US customers; to ignore any foreign privacy laws that might lead to mandatory destruction of stored data; and to refuse information requests from other countries without permission from the United States.

"This secret deal also allowed FBI and US Department of Justice officials to conduct inspection visits of Telstra and Reach offices and infrastructure.

"This is an extraordinary breach of trust, invasion of privacy, and erosion of Australia's sovereignty," said Senator Ludlam.

The agreement is available at this link: http://media.crikey.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/US-NSAs-Telstra.pdf

Agreement between the U.S. Dept. of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation and three telecommunication co...

Financial Review 13 May 2013:

The Coalition has approached former Telstra chief executive Ziggy Switkowski to be a director of NBN Co if it wins the election in another sign that it plans to shake up the board of the $37.4 billion broadband project.

The Australian Financial Review can reveal that opposition communications spokesman Malcolm Turnbull has canvassed Mr Switkowski and other former Telstra executives to replace NBN co-directors as he prepares for negotiations with the telco.

On 9 July 2013 Public Intelligence posted a list of other telecommunications corporations known to have made similar agreements with the U.S. Government:

Corporate Parties	Government Parties	Date	Download Link
Level 3 Communications, Inc.	DHS, DoD, DoJ	September 26, 2011	Download
AP TeleGuam Holdings, Inc.; AP TeleGuam Merger Sub, LLC	DHS, DoD, DoJ	May 1, 2011	Download
American Samoa Hawaii Cable, LLC; Samoa American Samoa Cable, LLC; American Samoa License, Inc.; and AST Telecom, LLC d/b/a Blue Sky Communications	DHS	February 2, 2011	Download (12.85 MB)
TerreStar Corporation; TerreStar Networks Inc.,	DHS, DoJ	December 18, 2009	Download
GU Holdings Inc.	DHS	September 21, 2009	Download
American Samoa Hawaii Cable, LLC; AST Telecom, LLC	DHS	January 9, 2009	Download
Inceptum 1 AS now known as Mobsat Holding Norway AS; Telenor Satellite Services AS successor to Telenor Broadband Services AS now known as Vizada AS; Telenor Satellite Services Holdings, Inc.; Mobsat Holding US, Inc. now known as Mobsat Holding US Corp; Telenor Satellite, Inc., now known as Vizada Satellite, Inc.; Telenor Satelltie Services, Inc. now known as Vizada, Inc.; GMPCS Personal Communications, Inc.; Marlink, Inc.; Telenor Secure Services, Inc. now known as Vizada Secure Services, Inc.; MindSparX, Inc.; Vizada Services Holding, Inc.; Vizada Services LLC	DHS, DoJ, FBI	September 25, 2008	Download
Horizon Mobile Communications, Inc.; SatCom Distribution, Inc.; SatCom Distribution Ltd.; and SatCom Group Holdings Plc	DHS, DoJ	September 24, 2008	Download
Inmarsat Global Limited; Inmarsat Hawaii Inc.	DHS, DoJ	September 17, 2008	Download
Reliance Communications Limited; Reliance Gateway Net Limited; FLAG Telecom Group Limited; FLAG Telecom Group Services; Yipes Holdings, Inc.; Yipes Enterprise Services, Inc.	DHS, DoJ	November 30, 2007	Download
Stratos Communications, Inc., previously MarineSat Communications Network, Inc.; Stratos Mobile Networks LLC; Stratos Mobile Networks, Inc.; CIP Canada Investment Inc.	DHS, DoJ, FBI	August 14, 2007	Download
Global Crossing Limited, formerly known as GC Acquisition Limited; Singapore Technologies Telemedia Pte Ltd	DHS, DoD, DoJ, FBI	February 1, 2007	Download
Telenor Satellite Services AS; Telenor Satellite Services Holdings, Inc.; Telenor Satellite, Inc.; Telenor Satellite Services, Inc.; Inceptum 1 AS; Mobsat Holding US, Inc.; GMPCS Personal Communications, Inc.; Marlink, Inc.; Telenor Secure Services, Inc.; MindSparX, Inc.	DHS, DoJ, FBI	March 5, 2007	Download
Guam Cellular and Paging, Inc.; DoCoMo Guam Holdings, Inc.	DHS, DoJ, FBI	October 13, 2006	Download
América Móvil, S.A. de C.V.; Telecomunicaciones de Puerto Rico, Inc.	DHS, DoJ	2006	Download
Cypress Communications Holding Company, Inc.; TechInvest Holding Company, Inc.; Arcapita Investment Management Limited; and Arcapita Bank B.S.C.(c)	DHS, DoJ, FBI, Treasury	June 17, 2005	Download
TelCove, Inc.	DHS, DoJ, FBI	June 15, 2005	Download
VSNL America, Inc.; VSNL Telecommunications, Inc.; Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited	DHS, DoD, DoJ, FBI	April 7, 2005	Download
Telefonica Moviles, S.A.; TEM Puerto Rico, Inc.; NewComm Wireless Services, Inc.	DHS, DoJ, FBI	May 14, 2004	Download
Micronesian Telecommunications Corporation; Pacific Telecom, Inc.	DHS, DoD, DoJ, FBI	October 6, 2003	Download
Global Crossing Ltd.; GC Acquisition Limited; Singapore Technologies Telemedia Pte Ltd	DHS, DoD, DoJ, FBI	September 23, 2003	Download
XO Communications, Inc.	DoJ, FBI	September 16, 2002	Download
Telenor Satellite Services Holdings, Inc.; Telenor Satellite, Inc.; Telenor Satellite Services, Inc.; Telenor Broadband Services AS	DoJ, FBI	November 29, 2001	Download
Reach Ltd.; Telstra Corporation Limited; Pacific Century CyberWorks Limited	DoJ, FBI	November 29, 2001	Download
Mobile Satellite Ventures LLC; Mobile Satellite Ventures Subsidiary LLC; Motient Corporation; TMI Communications and Company, Limited Partnership	DHS, DoD, DoJ, FBI	November 14, 2001	Download
MarineSat Communications Network, Inc.; Stratos Mobile Networks LLC	DoJ, FBI	August 7, 2001	Download
Deutsche Telekom AG; Voicestream Wireless Corporation; Voicestream Wireless Holding Corporation	DoJ, FBI	April 1, 2001	Download
AT&T Corp.; British Telecommunications PLC; TNV BV; VLT Co. LLC; Violet License Co. LLC	DoD, DoJ, FBI	October 7, 1999	Download

American telco customers are fighting back through the courts - but has anyone in this country filed against the United States of America, Commonwealth of Australia and Telstra Corporation Limited yet?

The rolling blacklist is dead and our online privacy is once more protected - or is it?

 

The Age 9 November 2012:

 

Conroy has backed down but there's no shortage of people still pushing to invade our privacy and censor the internet.

It's almost five years since communications minister Stephen Conroy embarked on his crash-or-crash-through campaign to introduce mandatory ISP-level internet filtering for all Australians……

From the very beginning of the debate, outspoken filtering opponents such as Electronic Frontiers Australia and Mark Newton data retention to keep records of everyone's internet usage for two years. There's already a push to expand the scope of this plan.

Meanwhile anti-piracy lomade it clear that the real concern about the planned filter was its broad scope and veil of secrecy which left it open to abuse by those with an agenda.

It didn't take long for calls to expand the proposed filter. Family First Senator, Steve Fielding, called for the filter to cover legal hardcore pornography and fetish material, while Senator Nick Xenophon wanted it to encompass online gambling. The Australian Christian Lobby was also pushing to expand the scope of the filter to cover a wide range of sins…….

"Blocking the INTERPOL 'worst of' list meets community expectations and fulfils the government’s commitment to preventing Australian internet users from accessing child abuse material online," Conroy says.

"Given this successful outcome, the Government has no need to proceed with mandatory filtering legislation."

Only a politician could label such a backdown a "successful outcome", considering it's exactly what he should have done five years ago. Senator Conroy has been gradually backtracking on filtering for some time but only now does it seem safe to declare the plan officially dead. But that doesn't mean that free speech and privacy advocates can rest easy. Right now Australia is debating the proposal for blanket data retention to keep records of everyone's internet usage for two years. There's already a push to expand the scope of this plan.
Meanwhile anti-piracy lobbyists are threatening to bomb the internet back into the stone age with draconian plans which keep emerging under the guise of various proposals such as the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), Protect IP Act (PIPA) and the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA)….

In November 2012 Australian citizens still struggle to get a definitive response from the Federal Attorney-General as to how law enforcement and intelligence agencies will ensure that they are not inappropriately gathering personal information on individuals when they wish to access to the following data without having to automatically apply for a warrant before each request to Internet Service Providers.

Definition of Telecommunications Data

From the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Intelligence and Security

 Inquiry into potential reforms of National Security Legislation

Trapwire bunkers down now those being watched are turning the tables on its spying activities

Going to surveillance agency Trapwire Inc (after its outing as a global super spy also allegedly operating in Australia under government contracts with its parent company, Abraxas Applications) and looking for its management structure at  http://www.trapwire.com/management.html and one was likely to find this displayed:

Which is an incredibly unwise move on this digitally savvy company’s part as Google Cache clearly demonstrated, allowing Imugr gallery to post management personnel profiles on 14 August 2012.

While The Pirate Bay created mirror sites for Trapwire documents removed from US government websites.

The Federal Government wants to widen its ability to spy on Australian citizens

Australian Attorney General Nicola Roxon wants to declare open season on all taxpayers, retirees, welfare recipients, people with business/home computers or email accounts and those with fixed/mobile phones.

Apparently seeking to widen the ability of six intelligence and security agencies, interception agencies, law enforcement bodies and a range of regulatory bodies such as the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, the Australian Taxation Office, Centrelink and a range of State and Territory government organisations to intercept/collect data on or surveil any individual (regardless of whether or not they are suspected of breaking the law) and conduct surveillance of or physically search the premises or belongings of any person of interest.

Ms. Roxon appears to expect all Australians to pay, for this increase in electronic data/telecommunications content collection and interference with lawful computer/phone use, through higher telco and internet service provider fees and charges.

It is no co-incidence that last Thursday was first time a director-general of the Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS) has spoken publicly since the agency was created 60 years ago - to assure the general public that his agency was an upright, touchy feely agency dedicated to protecting the country from all manner of foes and bogey men.

Unfortunately, these assurances ring hollow for many who have had even a modicum of contact with our home-grown spies.

The Joint Committee media release:

Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security

MEDIA RELEASE Issued: 9 July 2012

Chair: Hon Anthony Byrne MP Deputy Chair: Hon Philip Ruddock MP

Committee to examine potential reforms of national security legislation

The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security has commenced an inquiry into potential reforms of national security legislation.

The Government has asked the Committee to consider a package of national security ideas comprising proposals for telecommunications interception reform, telecommunications sector security reform and Australian intelligence community legislation reform. The Inquiry will include examination of:

·         Lawful access to telecommunications, to ensure that investigative tools are not lost as telecommunications providers change their business practices and begin to delete data more regularly.

·         Safeguards and privacy protections, including clarifying the roles of the Commonwealth and state ombudsmen in overseeing telecommunications interception by law enforcement agencies.

·         An authorised intelligence operations scheme, to afford ASIO officers the same protections which currently apply to officers of the Australian Federal Police for authorised operations.

Among a range of other matters, the Committee will consult on measures to address security risks posed to the telecommunications sector, and whether the Government needs to institute obligations on the Australian telecommunications industry to protect their networks from unauthorised interference.

The Chair of the Committee, the Hon Anthony Byrne MP, has welcomed the referral of the inquiry, stating that: “It is vital that our security laws keep pace with the rapid developments in technology”. Commenting on the importance of public input into the Parliament’s examination of the potential reforms, Mr Byrne said the Committee’s inquiry will give the public an opportunity to have a say in the development of new laws in the critical area of national security.

The Committee invites interested persons and organisations to make submissions addressing the terms of reference by Monday, 6 August 2012. The full terms of reference are available on the Committee’s website at: www.aph.gov.au/pjcis.

The Government has provided the Committee with a discussion paper which accompanies the terms of reference and describes the reform proposals. The discussion paper is available on the Committee’s web site. Submitters are strongly encouraged to have regard to the discussion paper in the preparation of submissions for the Committee’s inquiry.

For more information, visit the Committee’s website at http://www.aph.gov.au/pjcis or contact the Committee Secretariat on 02 6277 2360.

Telephone: 02 6277 2360 PO BOX 6021 Facsimile: 02 6277 2067 PARLIAMENT HOUSE Email: pjcis@aph.gov.au CANBERRA ACT 2600 Website: www.aph.gov.au/pjcis

Will it be tears before bedtime for Australian Governments lured by SAIC's siren song?

SAIC Pty Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) registered in Queensland since 1990 and located in Brisbane, Canberra and Melbourne. Ii appears to do business with the Commonwealth and state governments.

According to IT News For Business on 16 April 2012 SAIC has plans:

Science Applications International Corporation has revealed plans to create a regional cyber security research and development centre in Melbourne.

The R&D centre will create 50 jobs over the next three years, according to a statement by the Victorian State Government.

The jobs will be in the areas including high-end defence simulation and "related defence areas".

Specifically, the centre will research data mining and analysis systems, such as SIAC's enterprise search tool TeraText, and its subsidiary's deep packet inspection software, CloudShield……

SAIC has an existing office presence in Queensland and Victoria, and 41,000 employees worldwide.

Then there was this potted history of the corporation in The Washington Post on 22 April 2012:

Last week in these pages, The Post ran a profile of John Jumper, the straight arrow former Air Force general who was brought in as chief executive of local contracting giant SAIC in the wake of an embarrassing overbilling scandal involving bribery, kickbacks, foreign shell corporations and a safe deposit box stuffed with $850,000 in cash.

A year ago company officials were publicly denying that there were any problems at all with its contract to build a new timecard system for New York City, which by then was so late and so over budget that “CityTime” had become a frequent target for the New York tabloids and political embarrassment for Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

It was just last June that SAIC executives and directors first informed shareholders that there might be a little $2.5 million overbilling problem with the contract and that federal prosecutors had brought criminal charges against six employees of an SAIC subcontractor. Shareholders had to read deep into Note 9 of that quarterly report to learn that there might be “a reasonable possibility of additional exposure to loss that is not currently estimable” that “could have a material adverse impact” on the company’s finances.

It was just six months ago that SAIC got around to firing the three executives who were supposed to oversee the New York operations and letting shareholders know that the board of directors had formed a special committee and hired a couple of law firms to get to the bottom of things.

And it was a month ago that SAIC, acknowledging its responsibility in failing to detect a bribery and kickback conspiracy going on right under its corporate nose, agreed to repay the city $500 million of the $635 million it had received for the completed CityTime system. The settlement will allow SAIC to avoid criminal prosecution and the almost certain debarment from government contracting work that would follow.

Now with the appointment of a new chief executive, SAIC wants to assure everyone that the problems have been fixed and that the company has regained its “entrepreneurial spirit” and returned to its “core values.”……

This is what SAIC told the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Infrastructure and Communications in a submission on 19 February 2011:

Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) was founded in 1969 by Dr. J.Robert Beyster on the premise of attracting creative and pragmatic technical people to solve the world’s most difficult problems. Today it is a diversified technical company with business in energy, health, national security, environment, and critical infrastructure. SAIC’s 43,000 personnel are committed to meeting the needs of our customers and growing technology markets. The company is headquartered in McLean, Virginia, and we have business operations in Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory, and Queensland among other locations around the world.

Since the 1990s, SAIC has been involved in high-speed networking and high performance computing initiatives, and through our “spun out” subsidiaries (i.e., Network Solutions, Telcordia, ANXeBusiness, etc.) we participated in the growth of the Internet into its now critical place in global communication, economic, social and information infrastructure. As the Internet has grown, we have worked to develop applications that leverage these capabilities to help government improve service delivery (including eGovernment, education, etc.), and help critical infrastructure industries (energy, health, etc.) enhance their effectiveness. SAIC has also been a leader in the rapid development and integration of cybersecurity systems and components that have become required underpinning frameworks for the expansion of these large scale network architectures.

While this is what Pogo.org is telling the world on its Federal Contractor Misconduct Database:

SAIC

SAIC (Science Applications International Corporation) is a scientific, engineering and technology applications company. It works extensively with the U.S. Departments of Defense and Homeland Security, and the intelligence agencies. Founded by J. Robert Beyster, Ph.D., and a small group of scientists in 1969, SAIC and its subsidiaries now have approximately 41,000 employees worldwide.

Federal Contract $: $6861.6m

Total Number of Instances: 13

Total Misconduct dollar amount: $ 533.3m

Can Australian governments afford this corporation?