MPS SecBlog: Week in Review - 20 September 2024
- Montane PS Staff
- Sep 20, 2024
- 2 min read
AFP charges alleged NSW ‘mastermind’ of Ghost criminal messaging network
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has charged a 32-year-old NSW man for his alleged role in the creation and administration of Ghost – a dedicated, global criminal messaging network built around specialised encrypted handsets.
Crime rings broken, millions confiscated in Operation Kraken fallout
Following the AFP Ghost investigation, several arrests and asset seizures were made around Australia. These included drug-related arrests in Sydney and Melbourne, $2m in property currency seized in WA, and a fake terrorist plot foiled.
Australia’s national threat response requires inter-governmental coordination
Cooperation between federal and subnational Australian governments on national security must continue to evolve in the face of complex terrorism, espionage and foreign interference. The potential for divergence between federal national security and state economic priorities can lead to inconsistencies and national security vulnerabilities.
The software war: a quieter threat to Australia’s national security
Australia faces a critical challenge in securing its software supply chains, which are vulnerable to attacks that exploit third-party components and open-source software. The stealthy nature of these attacks poses a national security risk, threatening essential services and requiring a coordinated approach involving education, continuous scanning, and trusted frameworks.
Australia sees surge in data breaches, highest in over three years
Between January and June 2024, 527 data breaches were reported to the OAIC. This is a 9% rise from the previous six months, making it the largest figure since the latter half of 2020. One of the largest breaches occurred during this period, involving medical data provider MediSecure, affecting approximately 12.9 million Australians.
Disinformation May Thrive as Transparency Deteriorates Across Social Media
The continuing growth of influencer marketing, capabilities of artificial intelligence and declining content moderation by social media platforms have led to declines in transparency that blind researchers and the public to the effects of changes in the social media ecosystem that are altering how disinformation is being spread.
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