Forwarded From: William Knowles <erehwon@kizmiaz.dis.org>
Originally From: Julian Assange <proff@iq.org>
Originally To: aucrypto@suburbia.net
Secret plan for spies to bug PCs
By DAN TEBBUTT [The Australian]
13-jan-99
PERSONAL computers would become police spy stations under secret proposals
put to the Federal Government by a former deputy director of ASIO.
The Australian Federal Police, ASIO and the National Crime Authority would
be empowered to alter software to turn PCs into covert listening devices,
according to the 1996 report by one-time spy chief Gerald Walsh.
The report also recommends changes to the Commonwealth Crimes Act to allow
police and government investigators to hack into computer systems for
evidence.
While Mr Walsh called for public discussion of his proposals, the report
was withdrawn by the Attorney-General's Department. But a copy of the
96-page document was obtained last week by Internet privacy campaigners
Electronic Frontiers Australia and released to The Australian.
A spokesman for Attorney-General Daryl Williams confirmed last night that
Mr Walsh's recommendations were under discussion but the report was "just
one element" of policy being considered.
He would not say whether the controversial recommendations would be acted
on through legislation.
Mr Walsh warns that widespread use of PC-based data scrambling is a big
concern for law enforcement.
Criminals were already using computer encryption - programs that encode
data so it cannot be intercepted - to prevent police from monitoring phone
calls and e-mail.
Widespread encryption to scramble sensitive data would make crimes harder
to prove in court, Mr Walsh warns.
"The principle of non self-incrimination may well represent the polite end
of the possible range of responses," the report says.
Mr Walsh's plan would clear the way for police to eavesdrop on computer
conversations at the source.
A "target computer may be converted into a listening device" that could
seek out passwords and other private communications without the PC owner's
knowledge.
EFA spokesman Greg Taylor said authorities might set up Trojan horse
software that would record all PC activity, including passwords and
e-mail, before encryption.
"If you have access to someone's PC and you change their software you can
do anything you want," said Mr Taylor.
"If it's connected to a network such as the Internet the PC could transmit
data to another site."
Australian Council for Civil Liberties president Terry O'Gorman said the
proposals would be a worrying extension to police wiretap powers which
were already over-used.
"We are concerned about the low level of protection in relation to current
judicial warrants for telephone eavesdropping," Mr O'Gorman said.
Labor information technology spokeswoman Senator Kate Lundy said "the
whole issue of encryption is being used as a lever to justify further
invasions of privacy".
-o-
Subscribe: mail majordomo@repsec.com with "subscribe isn".
Today's ISN Sponsor: Internet Security Institute [www.isi-sec.com]
Received on Thu Mar 11 16:58:51 1999