[LINK] unlawful interception of internet traffic?

[Brendan Scott]

Craig Sanders wrote:
> i've recently found that a certain ISP is not only blocking access to
> at least two rival ISP's IP addresses, they are also intercepting DNS
> requests for one of the rival ISP's nameservers and diverting it to
> their own nameservers in order to provide false responses.
> 
> specifically they are sending back NS records which claim that their own
> NS is authoritative for the rival's domain, and they are sending back a
> false MX record which points to localhost [127.0.0.1] (i.e. preventing
> mail delivery to the rival ISP's domain). they are also sending back A
> records pointing to localhost 127.0.0.1 for the rival's hostnames (thus
> diverting www and other traffic).
> 
> 
> i'm pretty sure that all of this is actually illegal because it's an
> unlawful interception of communications traffic....and while the IP
> address blocking may be a squirmable grey-area (at least according to
> a lawyer's infinitely flexible connection with reality), the actual

I will ignore that comment for the time being. 

> interception of DNS traffic and providing false responses is a clear-cut
> infringement that they can't even pretend is OK.
> 
> 
> anyone know off hand whether this is true? and maybe even the
> name/section etc of the relevant Act(s)?


Cybercrime Act

http://www.comlaw.gov.au/ComLaw/Legislation/ActCompilation1.nsf/current%5Cbytitle/B41FA6A771562426CA256F7100560107?OpenDocument&mostrecent=1

477.3 Unauthorised impairment of electronic communication
(1) A person is guilty of an offence if:
(a) the person causes any unauthorised impairment of electronic
communication to or from a computer; and
(b) the person knows that the impairment is unauthorised; and
(c) one or both of the following applies:
(i) the electronic communication is sent to or from the
computer by means of a telecommunications service;
(ii) the electronic communication is sent to or from a
Commonwealth computer.
Penalty: 10 years imprisonment.
(2) Absolute liability applies to paragraph (1)(c).
(3) A conviction for an offence against this section is an alternative
verdict to a charge for an offence against section 477.2
(unauthorised modification of data to cause impairment).


> 
> 
> craig
> 
> ps: i've only just begun to investigate, so i guess there's probably
> lots more that they're doing. a shame, i've recommended this ISP to
> several people in the past...i'm going to have to un-recommend them now.