law enforcement and intelligence agencies

The AFP and FBI developed ANoM app secretly distributed among criminals used to make over 800 criminal arrests worldwide

Jun 10 2021

By Cameron Abbott, Warwick Andersen and Jacqueline Patishman

[Editor: It has been a busy week for all Cyberwatchers, and our blog has been running hot. This however is our favourite.]

For at least the last three years the Australian Federal Police and the United Stated Federal Bureau of Investigation have been working together to run ‘Operation Ironside’ using an app called ANoM. The app has allowed law enforcement to easily monitor criminal communications and to make over 800 criminal arrests so far.

Jul 28 2020

By Cameron Abbott and Rebecca Gill

The ability of a government to force a technology provider to create a “back door” into their technology to allow security agencies to “listen in” to communications is a very controversial step, but it has not been the subject of much discussion as any recipient of such intervention is gagged.

It was interesting to see that the Independent National Security Legislation Monitor has released a report on its review of the Telecommunications and Other Legislation Amendment (Assistance and Access) Act 2018 (Cth) (TOLA Act). The review considered, and provided recommendations on, the operation, effectiveness and implications of the TOLA Act and whether it is necessary, is proportionate to the threats it seeks to meet and treats human rights properly.

Apple sends passionate message to customers following court order to hack iPhone

Feb 18 2016

By Cameron Abbott and Meg Aitken

A US District Court has ordered Apple to assist US law enforcement agents to bypass the security features, disable the auto-erase function and ultimately access the data contained within an iPhone 5C that was used by one of the San Bernardino shooters, Syed Rizwan Farook.

Apple’s CEO Tim Cook responded to the order with an open letter to customers discussing the privacy and security implications of the order and calling for public discussion on the issue.

Read Apple’s Customer Letter here.

Access the Court Order here.

Breaches Update – July 2015

Jul 15 2015

by Jim Bulling and Julia Baldi

U.S. Office of Personal Management (OPM)
The U.S. government has confirmed a second cyber attack on the OPM database. Hackers are confirmed to have stolen the personal information in relation to former, current and prospective federal government employees effecting at least 21.5-mllion people (almost 7% of the entire U.S. population).

See the ABC report here, CNN report here and Guardian report here.

OPM’s website, sets out how person’s may have been affected by the breach and what OPM is doing to assist those affected. OPM has sent notifications to those affected by the incident and is offering free identity theft monitoring and restoration services including identity theft insurance and credit monitoring.

OPM has also outlined a cybersecurity action report, available here.

Tag:law enforcement and intelligence agencies

The AFP and FBI developed ANoM app secretly distributed among criminals used to make over 800 criminal arrests worldwide

Trust but verify: Independent report on Australia’s “anti-encryption” legislation released

Apple sends passionate message to customers following court order to hack iPhone

Breaches Update – July 2015