[LINK] Bugbear runs rampant in Australian parliament

[Simon Davis]

Craig Sanders wrote: 

[snip]
> 
> 
> even aside from national security issues, there are other kinds of
> sensitive or in-confidence documents stored on the parliament network.
> 
> working drafts of the next budget for example.
> 
> correspondence between ministers and various industry lobby groups.
> 
> copies of the tampa memos from last year.

I'd be extremely surprised if there was national security material on the
Parliamentary network as there are very strict rules for computerised
systems that process national security classified material (you need
approval from DSD) and, AFAIK, the Parliamentary network isn't certified by
DSD. You are absolutely right, however, about there being lots of
politically sensitive material on the Parliamentary network.

[snip]

> on a more personal note, a bugbear-like virus that got onto ATO
> computers would be a disastrous breach of privacy for all australians.
> would you want your tax records (or more likely correspondence)
> forwarded by a virus to random addresses?
> 
> same for the DSS.  and the various police forces.  and many other
> government departments.

Yes, I totally agree. I suppose this was what I was (rather obliquely)
hinting at in my first post. The Parliamentary network might seem like a
place of important secrets at first glance (important here meaning of real
impact on the government's or on individual's interests) but the real
important stuff to both government and to each of us as citizens exists in
the agencies rather than in the Parliament.

[snip]
> none of the above, btw, is outlandish fantasy or unrealistic.  it's not  
> even improbable.  i suspect that the only reason people aren't up in
> arms about the risks is that most people have no understanding of even
> basic computer security and consequently no idea of the risk posed by
> the governments (local, state, and federal) using insecure operating
> systems and applications.

If I wasn't writing this from a work computer I'd probably say something in
agreement but as I am, I won't 

Simon

*****************************************
Simon Davis
Assistant Director, Digital Preservation
National Archives of Australia

simond@naa.gov.au
phone: +61-2-6212-3461
fax:   +61-2-6212-3469
*****************************************
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