[LINK] ATO : up hacks and down hacks

[Chris Johnson]

Two stories about the Tax Office - are they related? The apps are not
accused of being used for the hacks, but perhaps the speedy delivery of
unreliable systems is the response to previous criticisms that the tax
return websites don't work on many platforms.

1. Information Age (ACS) reporting on the Digital Disruptor awards last
week:

> The ATO impressed judges by being the first federal agency to deploy a
mobile app on all three major app stores after undergoing a major
internal cultural transformation.
> 
> The taxation office’s mobile apps team designed, built and delivered the
app in less than 10 weeks with close, cohesive engagements with key
stakeholders, including business partners.

2. Tax file numbers being hacked and used to divert tax refunds
<http://www.smh.com.au/it-pro/security-it/five-hundred-tax-file-numbers-hacked-every-day-20151028-gklcx7.html>
"In one case this month, payroll software used by a Melbourne accounting
firm was hacked and the personal and financial details of 1600 employees
of its clients were obtained...
The Federal Police advised victims that the breach was just a small part
of a broader targeted attack on tax file numbers, with the ultimate goal
of to[sic] lodging false tax returns, that is yielding up to 500
individual tax file numbers every day."

Chris Johnson