Multi-domain combat units and preparing Australia for an era of ‘archipelagic denial’
2023 Defence Strategic Review outlines a 'strategy of denial' for the Australian Defence Force, emphasizing the need to deny adversaries freedom of action near Australia's northern approaches. Key priorities include undersea warfare assets, long-range strike capabilities, and air and missile defence systems alongside multi-domain control, with Army prioritizing littoral maneuverability and long-range strike capabilities.
The review suggests the formation of multi-domain combat units within the Army, focusing on command control, AMD, strike capabilities, and force protection. Existing technologies like Virtualised Aegis and NASAMS are recommended, with an emphasis on flexibility and adaptability. With this, the Army's shift towards multi-domain combat units aims to enhance its defensive capabilities against potential adversaries in the region.
Cyber security cooperation a key plank of Australia-Papua New Guinea Annual Leaders’ Dialogue
The Prime Ministers of Australia and Papua New Guinea had a face-to-face meeting in Canberra on 2 February, recommitting each country to cooperation and partnership on a range of topics. As well as discussing military cooperation and working together to combat climate change, the two leaders also discussed cyber security. “Leaders also welcomed enhanced cooperation on cyber security, including the ability to deploy Pacific Cyber Rapid Assistance for Pacific Incidents and Disasters (RAPID) teams in the event of a cyber security incident at the request of Papua New Guinea,” the pair of leaders said in a joint statement.
The federal government announced the RAPID program in November 2023 as part of its 2023-2030 Cyber Security Strategy. The RAPID teams are led by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and are made up of experts from government agencies and the private sector. The aim is to have a team of experts that can deploy to respond to cyber security emergencies throughout the Pacific region.
Hacker claims to leak more than 650k customers of Aussie Vapes store
A user on a clear web hacking forum has posted the details of a data leak they are claiming belongs to online retailer Aussie Vapes. The hacker, who goes by the name zxcv16, claims to have an Excel spreadsheet with the details of 668,200 Aussie Vapes customers, including names, email and physical addresses, phone numbers, date of birth, and gender. It is unknown what the poster is selling the data for, as that information is obfuscated for basic users of the forum.
The post also includes a brief list of sample datasets of 10 customers to prove that the hack is genuine, and all the details do appear legitimate. They also all have another leak in common – every one of the emails listed was part of last year’s Dymocks data breach.
Government plans new anti-doxxing laws following anti-Semitic incident
Recently, anti-Israeli activists doxed just under 600 Jewish people from a WhatsApp group, revealing details such as names and screenshots from the group chat. While the Victorian Police has already begun investigating the incident, the data being exposed could result in race or religion-based crime, particularly with tensions so high in the midst of the Israel-Gaza war. The Albanese government has quickly responded, announcing that it is looking to draft anti-doxxing legislation to prevent similar incidents going forward. Speaking to 2GB Radio, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that in line with multiple MP statements saying they wish to criminalise doxxing, he has pushed for legislation to be written and included within reforms to the Privacy Act following its recent review.
National resilience for Australia - learning the lesson
Over the past four years, Australia has faced numerous challenges such as wildfires, the Covid-19 pandemic, floods, and trade disputes. There has been a surge in cybersecurity threats and espionage activities, along with a resurgence of right-wing extremism which have strained Australia's systems and institutions, necessitating a shift towards national resilience. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese highlighted the importance of this approach, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive strategy, claiming a national resilience framework would not only enhance security but also prove economically beneficial, reducing the costs of future natural disasters.
New Zealand: Domestic Pushback Against AUKUS Growing
New Zealand's opposition Labour Party is pushing back against the new centre-right government's interest in joining AUKUS Pillar II. The pushback comes from sitting members of parliament, as well as via a new op-ed published jointly by three-time Labour Prime Minister Helen Clark and her former rival and former National Party leader Don Brash, both of whom carry major weight in the country.
The government is concerned that participating in AUKUS, even given the near certainty that New Zealand eschews the nuclear submarine aspect of Pillar I, would invite Chinese trade retaliation because the pact is a China containment mechanism. New Zealand is heavily dependent on China economically, both for imports and exports, meaning a change to the status quo could threaten its main industries.
Scam alert: Online dating and investment scams
Last year, financial criminals stole more than $40 million in fake investments from people in Australia through dating websites and social media.
These scammers pretend to a real person who wants a relationship with you, spending weeks or months gaining your trust.
They tell you to invest your money or cryptocurrency in 'opportunities' that turn out to be fake, leaving you broke and broken-hearted.
58 cyber attacks costing $3bn under investigation by UN
The 58 attacks in question resulted in the collection of US$3 billion (roughly A$4.6 billion), which the UN believes was used to fund the development of North Korea’s nuclear weapons program.
“The panel is investigating 58 suspected DPRK cyber attacks on cryptocurrency-related companies between 2017 and 2023, valued at approximately US$3 billion, which reportedly help fund DPRK’s WMD development,” wrote a panel of independent UN security monitors to the Security Council committee.
ACSC releases critical alert over FortiOS bug
The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) released a critical alert late last week, pointing out the very real risk of remote code being executed on affected Fortinet FortiOS devices.
FortiOS is a network operating system used on FortiGuard’s hardware and software security products, such as switches and firewalls.