NATIONAL SECURITY – AUSTRALIA

Dutton slams tech giants over encryption laws

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Original article by Andrew Tillett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 11-Oct-18

The federal government continues to face opposition to its proposed digital encryption laws. However, Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton argues that the laws are necessary due to the growing use of encryption services by criminals and terrorists, adding that existing laws are inadequate to deal with such technologies. Dutton has also noted that Silicon Valley-based technology companies are among the biggest critics of the proposed laws, despite their poor track record in protecting personal data.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HOME AFFAIRS, NATIONAL PRESS CLUB (AUSTRALIA), AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE, GOOGLE INCORPORATED

Tech giants face $10m fines under security laws

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Original article by Andrew Tillett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 14-Aug-18

The federal government will introduce new laws that aim to boost efforts to detect terrorist and criminal activity via electronic surveillance. The laws, which were developed in consultation with telcos, internet firms and telecommunications device makers, include fines of up to $10 million for companies that refuse to provide access to secret data. They have been introduced after Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull complained in 2017 that terrorists and criminals are using secret message services such as WhatsApp to avoid surveillance; he promised to take action to require technology firms to work with law enforcement agencies to detect such activity.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN SECURITY INTELLIGENCE ORGANISATION, AUSTRALIAN SECRET INTELLIGENCE SERVICE, AUSTRALIAN SIGNALS DIRECTORATE, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT

Call for tougher penalties to stop trade secret theft

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Original article by Andrew Tillett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 5-Jul-18

The federal government’s new espionage and foreign interference impose criminal penalties for theft of trade secrets on behalf of foreign interests. However, Australian Industry Group CEO Innes Willox argues that more legislative action is needed to protect against the domestic theft of commercial trade secrets. Clayton Utz partner John Collins notes that Australia has traditionally treated the theft of trade secrets as a commercial issue that attracts civil remedies, although he says there is potential for criminal penalties to be introduced in the future.

CORPORATES
THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, CLAYTON UTZ, LAW COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, SUPREME COURT OF NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, BOEING COMPANY

Huawei hits back over security ban

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Original article by Andrew Tillett, Jennifer Hewett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 2 : 18-Jun-18

Huawei Australia directors have refuted suggestions that the Chinese telco’s participation in the construction of a 5G wireless network raises national security concerns. They have written to federal MPs arguing that Huawei supplies equipment for the mobile networks of Optus, Vodafone and TPG, and they have warned that the company could potentially withdraw from Australia if it is excluded from the 5G project. Huawei has also dismissed concerns about its links to the Chinese government, stressing that it is a privately-owned company.

CORPORATES
HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES COMPANY LIMITED, HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, VODAFONE AUSTRALIA LIMITED, TPG TELECOM LIMITED – ASX TPM, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA CHINA BUSINESS COUNCIL, ZTE CORPORATION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Huawei to be banned from 5G

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Original article by Phillip Coorey, Angus Grigg
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 14-Jun-18

Sources have indicated that Australia’s security and defence agencies have recommended against allowing Huawei to bid for contracts to build the nation’s 5G wireless networks. The Federal Government is expected to make a decision on the 5G contracts very soon, and Huawei has previously been excluded from providing equipment for the national broadband network due to national security concerns. The Chinese telco supplies equipment for the 4G networks of Optus and Vodafone, while Huawei’s John Lord recently noted that the company employs about 750 people in Australia.

CORPORATES
HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES COMPANY LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, VODAFONE AUSTRALIA LIMITED, ZTE CORPORATION, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, TELEFON AB LM ERICSSON, NOKIA OY AB, ALCATEL-LUCENT, UNITED STATES. SENATE SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE, UNITED STATES. NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY, UNITED STATES. DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Foreign spy threat to by-elections

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Original article by Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 8-Jun-18

The joint committee on intelligence and security has made 60 recommendations in its report on the Federal Government’s Espionage and Foreign Interference Bill. Attorney-General Christian Porter says the committee should also report immediately on the Foreign Influence and Transparency Scheme Bill. He argues that both bills must be passed by Parliament prior to the five by-elections on 28 July, to ensure that the outcome of the polls is not affected by the actions of foreign agents. He says the threat of foreign interference has increased in recent months.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. JOINT PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE AND SECURITY, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, AUSTRALIAN SECURITY INTELLIGENCE ORGANISATION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, COMMUNIST PARTY (CHINA)

Tough laws to put terror heat on tech titans

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Original article by Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 6-Jun-18

The Federal Government has proposed legislation that would require telcos and technology companies to provide law enforcement and intelligence agencies with access to the encrypted data of suspected terrorists and cyber-criminals. Cyber Security Minister Angus Taylor notes that at present telcos are not required to co-operate in providing access to such data. He stresses that the legislation – which will also apply to digital companies such as Google and Facebook – will not result in the creation of so-called "backdoor keys" that would allow law enforcement agencies to decrypt such data.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HOME AFFAIRS, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, WHATSAPP INCORPORATED, APPLE INCORPORATED, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, VODAFONE AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN SECURITY INTELLIGENCE ORGANISATION, AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, GROUP OF TWENTY (G-20)

A-G’s swipe at media for opposing spy laws

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Original article by Paul Maley
The Australian – Page: 2 : 28-Mar-18

Attorney-General Christian Porter has criticised the media and other special-interest groups for opposing the Federal Government’s proposed foreign interference and espionage laws. He noted that the introduction of similar laws in the US generally attracted consideration of whether they were in the national interest. Media companies have expressed concern about the potential implications of the proposed laws on journalists, although ASIO has argued that they should not be exempt.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, AUSTRALIAN SECURITY INTELLIGENCE ORGANISATION, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS

Leyonhjelm’s despair for erosion of press freedom

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Original article by Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 2 : 26-Mar-18

Liberal Democrat senator David Leyonhjelm has accused the Abbott and Turnbull governments of the biggest crackdown on freedom of the press for many years through various laws. Leyonhjelm contends the crackdown began with Abbott in 2013, when Leyonhjelm says Abbott tried to make political mileage out of national security. Commenting on proposed espionage legislation that critics say could see journalists jailed for just doing their job, Attorney-General Christian Porter says he does not think any Australian would support the release of information that might risk the lives of ASIO or AFP staff or result in the death of an Australian.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, AUSTRALIAN SECURITY INTELLIGENCE ORGANISATION, AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Journos reject spy risk claim for flawed law

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Original article by Dana McCauley
The Australian – Page: 26 & 28 : 19-Mar-18

Former Al Jazeera foreign correspondent Peter Greste has expressed concern about the potential impact of the Federal Government’s proposed espionage and foreign interference laws on freedom of speech. Media companies have also raised concerns about the limitations of the proposed laws in a new submission to federal parliament’s intelligence committee, while Law Council of Australia president Morry Bailes says the defence that reporting on an issue is in the public interest should be widened.

CORPORATES
AL JAZEERA, LAW COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, MEDIA, ENTERTAINMENT AND ARTS ALLIANCE, UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND, COMMUNIST PARTY (CHINA)