By Mike Burgess
Changes inwards the global economic scheme are bringing amongst it a wealth of opportunities for Australia, but nosotros demand to live open-eyed on the potential threats to our most of import interests, says Mike Burgess, director-general of the ASD. I’ve had ii careers inwards the Australian Signals Directorate – the showtime starting inwards 1995, the other inwards 2018.
In 1995, the Defence Signals Directorate, as it was known then, was a highly secretive organisation. My ain household unit of measurement didn’t actually know what I did. In fact, at that betoken inwards time, few people had fifty-fifty heard of the directorate.
Early inwards 1995, I spotted a geeky-sounding telecommunication task advert inwards a newspaper. Some of you lot may but retrieve those days, when online wasn’t yet a thing together with jobs were found inwards the newspaper.
Other than mentioning Defence, the advert did non advert the Defence Signals Directorate. And when I called the telephone number, the individual at the other halt answered amongst no to a greater extent than than “hello”. No advert of who they were – an awkward start to a really rewarding xviii years.
When I returned inwards Jan this year, ASD was a completely dissimilar place. It was emerging from the shadows together with cyber was fundamental to that.
ASD’s role inwards cyber security was good known together with the regime had chosen to live to a greater extent than transparent almost sensitive aspects of ASD’s capabilities. Things similar offensive cyber, which had never been discussed before.
And inwards July this year, ASD became a statutory agency inwards the Defence portfolio. In effect, ASD had come upwards out of the shadows. And that’s the way I think it to stay.
In keeping amongst this, ASD tweeted for the showtime fourth dimension today, “Long fourth dimension listener, showtime fourth dimension caller”.
While DSD operated legally together with ethically inwards 1995, at that spot was no specific legislation governing the directorate until the Intelligence Services Act came into forcefulness inwards 2001. Today the Intelligence Services Act together with the Parliament’s trust inwards us is our licence to operate.
ASD began its life inwards 1947 as the Defence Signals Bureau. Our organisation together with our mission-focused civilisation was born out of the dark days of World War 2, when timely, high-quality signals intelligence oft made the divergence betwixt victory or defeat.
During World War 2, the Central Bureau’s Fleet Radio Unit Melbourne was charged amongst intercepting, decoding together with reporting on Japanese naval communications amongst bully effect.
After war’s end, the signals intelligence units were rapidly disbanded but the Australian Government realised the importance of unusual signals intelligence together with communications security – together with our heritage of code maker–code breaker began.
So, what hasn’t changed?
In all that fourth dimension – our substance missions receive got non changed.
We receive got ever been both a unusual intelligence together with a security agency. The combination of our ‘poacher’ together with ‘gamekeeper’ roles has proven itself ane time again together with again.
Organisations that know how to exploit unusual communications, similar ASD, are best positioned to protect our ain national interests, peculiarly given the nature of today’s cyber threat.
Our partners inwards the US, UK, Canada together with New Zealand accept the same approach for the really same reason. Offence informs defense forcefulness together with defense forcefulness informs offence – or to seat it some other way, to best remove grip of a thief, you lot volition demand to think similar ane (or perhaps, live one).
The 2017 Independent Intelligence Review recognised the importance of this, noting it is essential to receive got a seamless connecter betwixt the Australian Cyber Security Centre together with the Australian Signals Directorate. That is why today the pump is portion of ASD.
ASD’s purpose is to defend Commonwealth of Australia from global threats together with assist advance Australia’s national interests. We do this yesteryear mastering engineering scientific discipline to inform, protect together with disrupt.
Informing – yesteryear the covert acquisition of unusual information non publicly available (known inwards our work organisation as SIGINT, signals intelligence)
Protecting – yesteryear comprehensively agreement the cyber threat, providing proactive advice together with assistance to improve the management of cyber remove a chance yesteryear government, work organisation together with the community
Disrupting – yesteryear applying our offensive cyber capabilities offshore, to back upwards armed forces operations, counter-terrorism, counter cyber espionage together with serious cyber-enabled crime.
Coming out of the shadows doesn’t hateful that nosotros volition live able to utter almost the exceptional of our operations. Some things volition demand to remain classified out of necessity.
But it is of import that the Australian world know that ASD operations brand a existent divergence every twenty-four hr menses when it comes to defending Commonwealth of Australia from global threats.
It is also of import the Australian world trust us. Hence my utter hither tonight. ASD operates inside the police pull together with for the best involvement of Australians.
For example, our counter-terrorism analysts runway the communications of extremists who pose threats to our national security. These are clever, curious people who master copy engineering scientific discipline to develop cutting-edge techniques that seat previously-unknown terrorists.
“Our analysts also piece of work hard to secure intelligence leads against offshore criminals who threaten Australian interests. Signals intelligence has helped disrupt major shipments of narcotics into Australia.”
While I can’t portion the details here, I tin tell you lot that our intelligence has been used yesteryear ASIO, the AFP together with others to disrupt attacks that were inwards advanced stages of planning – hither inwards Commonwealth of Australia together with against Australian interests abroad.
Our analysts also piece of work hard to secure intelligence leads against offshore criminals who threaten Australian interests. Signals intelligence has helped disrupt major shipments of narcotics into Australia.
And our linguists together with analysts receive got identified key pieces of information that assist regime agencies secure the rubber release of Australian citizens who receive got been taken hostage overseas.
In a armed forces context – signals intelligence is used to back upwards armed forces operations, enable the state of war fighter, together with protect Defence personnel together with assets deployed inwards harm’s way. And our offensive cyber operators are working closely amongst armed forces planners to generate cyber effects that disrupt Daesh inwards the Middle East.
On the cyber security front end – our staff inwards the Australian Cyber Security Centre piece of work around the clock to protect work organisation together with the community from the malicious cyber activity targeting our networks. Their objective is to brand Commonwealth of Australia the safest house to connect online yesteryear fostering national cybersecurity resilience.
ASD helped the national census acquire dorsum online together with works life that no information relating to Australians had been compromised. We also provided technical advice to brand sure the same-sex matrimony survey could live conducted securely.
We convey our intelligence together with cyber expertise together to hunt for cyber intrusions on Australian networks. Over the lastly 12 years, nosotros receive got discovered some of the most sophisticated cyber threats affecting a hit of Australian interests.
We receive got identified together with dealt amongst hackers on regime networks, across the individual sector through to academia. Without our efforts, these threats would receive got sure been left unchecked together with caused major harm to Australian interests.
When you lot start putting all these examples together, you lot tin sympathise why our workforce is proud to piece of work at ASD. Why I am proud to Pb this bully organisation. It’s an organisation of professional, intelligent, curious-minded people who piece of work hard to defend Commonwealth of Australia from global threats.
While I am on people, allow me briefly utter almost the importance of variety together with inclusion together with how of import initiatives such as the 100 days for alter catalyse us all into making practical changes to improve gender equality.
I am proud of the fact that currently 56% of ASD’s senior executive roles are held yesteryear women; that’s a 25% improvement since I started inwards January. This resultant should live the norm together with spell I tin banking company annotation this achievement I would also banking company annotation overall ASD is non where it should be.
Only 34% of our overall positions are held yesteryear women. We must do amend together with nosotros will. We must receive got total access to the brightest minds across our society. Limiting ourselves is ludicrous.
As portion of the 100 days for alter initiative:
I receive got appointed ASD’s initiative variety together with inclusion adviser
ASD’s corporation flat committees receive got gender diversity
all ASD civilian roles are flexible, accommodating part-time or full-time working arrangements.
A minor but of import start – I’m confident nosotros volition address this gap.
So, what else hasn’t changed?
“We receive got no involvement inwards the communications of everyday Australians.”
There is another, fifty-fifty to a greater extent than important, aspect of our mission that hasn’t changed.
Given that ASD’s unusual intelligence capabilities are inherently intrusive, at that spot are special protections that apply to the communications of Australian persons.
These protections apply regardless of where Australians are inwards the world.
This principle, also enshrined inwards the Intelligence Services Act, underpins ASD’s operations. It is ingrained inwards all the decisions nosotros make. As a unusual intelligence service, protecting the privacy of Australian citizens volition remain a substance tenet of how ASD operates.
The media allegation that ASD was proposing to “spy on Australians” before this yr could non live farther from the truth.
ASD is both a unusual intelligence together with a cyber security agency. We tending almost the threats posed yesteryear people together with organisations exterior of Australia. And nosotros assist protect Australian interests from cyber threats. Foreign signals intelligence together with cyber security are ii divide activities informed yesteryear the capabilities of each. We receive got no involvement inwards the communications of everyday Australians.
ASD’s values haven’t changed – these were seat inwards house over 12 years agone spell Steve Merchant was the Director. Values affair – rules guide us when people are watching, values guide us when they’re not.
ASD has v values:
we brand a difference
we strive for excellence
we belong to a bully team
we are audacious inwards concept
we are meticulous inwards execution.
While the joint of each value is clear, our discussion painting present for each value matters – it says a lot almost the people who pick out to piece of work at ASD.
‘We brand a difference’ is all almost giving our customers, those nosotros serve, a critical edge. Critical information together with activities that deport on operations together with policy.
‘We strive for excellence’ is almost seeking together with fostering talent, beingness committed together with enthusiastic, flexible together with responsive – beingness Blue Planet degree inwards all nosotros do.
‘We belong to a bully team’ is recognition nosotros succeed through teamwork together with partnerships, recognising each other’s contribution, supporting together with caring for each other together with valuing contribution from everyone.
‘We are audacious inwards concept’, this is almost the piece of work that nosotros do, which yesteryear its really nature requires ASD staff to operate inwards the slim expanse betwixt the hard together with the impossible – together with it’s bloody hard.
To live successful, nosotros receive got to do what others think is impossible.
Last but non least, ‘we are meticulous inwards execution’. This is almost precision together with ever acting legally together with ethically. Being accountable to the world through regime for everything nosotros do together with managing our risks effectively.
Let me live clear, together with tell again, nosotros receive got no involvement inwards the communications of everyday Australians. My workforce are Australians too, together with nosotros would non stand upwards for it.
So, what has changed?
The 2017 Independent Intelligence Review has introduced important alter to the Australian intelligence community. While the review found agencies highly capable together with staffed yesteryear skilled officers of bully integrity, a fundamental topic of their study provided a pathway to a higher flat of collective performance.
A major recommendation was the Office of National Intelligence live established together with that is good underway today amongst the Director-General of Intelligence, Nick Warner, inwards place. No unmarried agency inwards the National Intelligence Community operates inwards isolation – partnerships together with collaborating are critical to our collective success.
In improver to the institution of ONI, the review also recommended a important alter to the positioning of ASD inwards the community.
Given ASD’s increased national responsibilities together with expertise inwards cyber security together with also mindful of the critical operational capabilities nosotros provide to the Australian Defence Force, the review recommended ASD popular off a statutory agency inside the Defence portfolio reporting direct to the Minister for Defence.
In improver to becoming a statutory agency, the review noted ASD’s priority role of supporting the ADF together with recommended the appointment of a senior armed forces officeholder as the principal Deputy Director-General, together with inwards Feb this yr LTGEN John Frewen was appointed inwards this role.
The review farther recommended:
ASD accept formal responsibleness for the Australian Cyber Security Centre, and
ASD’s legislative mandate live amended to include the provision of cyber security advice to businesses together with the community together with provide the legal business office to foreclose together with disrupt serious cyber-enabled criminal offence offshore.
These changes are significant. The ambition together with expectations of our ministers are high, together with I am confident your expectation is the same.
What else is changing inwards our world? Firstly, technology
While our values receive got non changed, engineering scientific discipline has. Throughout our history, ASD has reinvented ourselves every decade or so to remain ahead of changes inwards communications technology.
But over the yesteryear decade, engineering scientific discipline – the so-called “fourth industrial revolution” – has changed every aspect of our lives. From how nosotros work, shop, deal our coin together with digest our information, to how nosotros view our life partners, enhance together with educate our children, together with deal our wars.
We alive inwards a technology-enabled, connected world. With this comes bully chance together with benefits to social club together with our economy. The charge per unit of measurement of alter together with adoption of engineering scientific discipline is unprecedented.
Everything is beingness digitised, everything is beingness connected together with everything is beingness controlled yesteryear software. And at that spot is no doubt, the total potential of connectivity, engineering scientific discipline together with software are yet to live fully realised.
However, these same benefits stand upwards for a important risk.
We’ve all witnessed the wholesale theft of information together with disruption to work organisation globally inwards recent years.
For the lastly 10 years, the intelligence together with security Blue Planet has been focused on dealing amongst the work of information theft. Industrial espionage together with criminal gangs making serious money.
As the total potential of technology, connectivity together with software are farther realised, I think it is fourth dimension nosotros also plow our hear every bit to integrity together with availability together with I volition touching on this later.
The successful identification together with management of cybersecurity risks across the community, businesses together with governments is critically important.
In recent years, nosotros receive got also seen the increasing utilisation of encryption – an indispensable tool for protecting everything from our banking company transactions to national security information.
But this has also presented challenges when it comes to uncovering the secrets of those who pose a threat to Australia’s national security.
In particular, criminals who commit serious offences, who don’t desire to live found, hiding inwards dark places.
Strong encryption is vital to the prosperity of the technology-enabled Blue Planet nosotros alive in, nonetheless brand no mistake, criminals also do goodness from the encryption that protects our really lives.
The ‘internet of things’ is starting to shape all of our lives. From a unusual intelligence perspective, these technologies volition provide novel ways to discovery together with runway threats. But they also nowadays a much wider surface expanse to think almost from a cyber security together with security perspective.
Cloud, mobility together with applications receive got challenged assumptions almost whether geography is meaningful on the internet. Certainly, our targets are finding it piece of cake to obscure their location together with identity yesteryear using anonymising technologies, similar VPNs together with the dark web.
From all these benefits together with risks, at that spot is also an increment inwards complexity for those who piece of work inwards cyber security, unusual intelligence together with effects – our Blue Planet is far to a greater extent than challenging today than inwards was inwards 1995, allow lone 1947.
Our people are key to mastering technology. We receive got some of the best together with brightest who bridge several generations, from all walks of life, non but engineers similar me – including a large chunk of frighteningly clever millennials. H5N1 variety of talent together with a talent of diversity.
Gaining the powerfulness to flexibly recruit, develop together with retain our specialist staff is ane of the major reasons why ASD became a statutory agency.
Strategic together with economical powerfulness is shifting east. As are the centres of expertise for technology, enquiry together with development.
This brings amongst it a wealth of opportunities for Commonwealth of Australia as nosotros advance our digital economic scheme together with merchandise relationships.
However, it also changes the industrial base of operations nosotros rely on for critical infrastructure. We volition demand to live open-eyed on the potential threats that whatever important alter of this sort poses to Australia’s most of import interests.
It would live naive to think nosotros tin deal these strategic together with engineering scientific discipline risks yesteryear asset dorsum change. Like everything, it is a enquiry of finding the correct residue betwixt leveraging all the advantages that these novel shifts convey – together with protecting Australians, our values together with our way of life.
These twin themes of technological together with strategic economical shifts tin live seen inwards the government’s recent determination to prohibit telecommunication carriers from using high-risk vendors inwards 5G networks.
This decision, which was non taken lightly, was supported yesteryear technical advice from my agency, all elements of my agency. Our intelligence together with offensive cyber experts that led the formation of our cyber security advice. Offence informs defence.
Our starting betoken was that, if 5G engineering scientific discipline delivers on its promise, the adjacent generation of telecommunication networks volition live at the exceed of every country’s listing of critical national infrastructure.
5G is non but fast data, it is also high-density connecter of devices – human to human, human to machine together with machine to machine – together with finally it is much lower signal latency or speed of response.
5G engineering scientific discipline volition underpin the communications that Australians rely on every day, from our wellness systems together with the potential applications of remote surgery, to self-driving cars together with through to the functioning of our powerfulness together with H2O supply.
The stakes could non live higher. This is almost to a greater extent than than but protecting the confidentiality of our information – it is also almost integrity together with availability of the information together with systems on which nosotros depend. Getting security correct for our critical infrastructure is paramount.
Historically, nosotros receive got protected the sensitive information together with functions at the substance of our telecommunication networks yesteryear confining our high-risk vendors to the border of our networks.
But the distinction betwixt substance together with border collapses inwards 5G networks. That agency that a potential threat anywhere inwards the network volition live a threat to the whole network.
In consultation amongst operators together with vendors, nosotros worked hard this yr to view if at that spot were ways to protect our 5G networks if high-risk vendor equipment was nowadays anywhere inwards these networks.
At the halt of this process, my advice was to exclude high-risk vendors from the entirety of evolving 5G networks.
This is a goodness illustration of ASD’s changing role. We are no longer an agency which alone provides best exercise advice to network administrators.
We receive got an of import role inwards advising regime how to best navigate major engineering scientific discipline together with strategic shifts – based on our poacher-gamekeeper expertise. Our piece of work is informed yesteryear us mastering technology.
Our trusted adviser role is novel together with non but for regime – providing trusted, timely advice to government, work organisation together with the community on cyber security is ane my staff together with I accept seriously together with ane the Australian Cyber Security Centre volition Pb on.
We demand a dissimilar laid of capabilities today to confront these threats
The large strategic together with engineering scientific discipline shifts volition also pose challenges to our intelligence capabilities together with the way nosotros apply them to address emerging threats.
The cyberspace makes it really piece of cake for our targets to utilisation engineering scientific discipline to deliberately obscure their location. They are also harder to discovery as a resultant of the book together with complexity of the internet.
Indeed, for most internet-based communications, someone’s geographic location is oft hard to discern, regardless of whether the user is trying to evade detection or not.
As a result, fundamental geographic distinctions which receive got provided the ground for determining where ASD could collect unusual intelligence receive got right away popular off meaningless.
Determining who was a legitimate offshore unusual intelligence target used to live straightforward when the world’s communications were carried yesteryear analogue signalling from betoken H5N1 to betoken B along copper wires or satellites. That’s no longer true.
In those days a telephone was fixed to the wall together with its location was a certainty. So, nosotros could reliably seat unusual communications according to the province code together with urban center code of the telephone number. And nosotros could rapidly narrow downward potential threats requiring investigation based on telephone numbers belonging to known targets.
In contrast, today’s cyberspace communications don’t ever display obvious markers indicating the province or urban center that the communication originated from. Nor tin nosotros assume that a communication is unusual but because it has come upwards from a server overseas. For example, it is non unusual for social media messages betwixt ii Australians to transit an offshore server.
As I said earlier, ASD has no involvement inwards communications involving everyday Australians. What ASD cares almost is identifying unusual threats to Australia, whether they be:
terrorist threats
cyber threats
foreign espionage or interference.
And ane of the most powerful ways to discovery such threats is to aspect for communications that exhibit well-known attributes. It’s the equivalent of creating an electronic fingerprint to seat unusual intelligence.
For example, ASD powerfulness construct an electronic signature associated amongst a slice of malware it has seen used overseas together with and so utilisation this fingerprint to discovery this malware beingness targeted against Australia.
Or ASD powerfulness create upwards one's hear communication attributes associated amongst a sure terrorist grouping that it tin utilisation to discovery when these terrorists are communicating online.
These techniques tin live used to unambiguously seat potential unusual threats requiring farther investigation. They are inwards consequence a marking for unusual intelligence – fifty-fifty inwards the absence of information that tells us just where inwards the Blue Planet the communications came from.
In this respect, these techniques are but as powerful as pinpointing unusual intelligence as a telephone expose belonging to a unusual intelligence target was xxx years ago.
Today, our Blue Planet is far to a greater extent than complex.
Finally, to the changing Blue Planet of cyber security
“Technology, connectivity together with software concord much promise, but nosotros shouldn’t but aspect at the benefits – what are the vulnerabilities, what are the risks?”
My assessment is that progress is beingness made piece of cake across the Blue Planet together with at abode inwards Australia.
I am concerned many are soundless distracted yesteryear complexity together with hype around cyber security. Knowing the value of your information together with the digital services you lot rely on is of import together with information technology hygiene does matter.
While it is pleasing to view businesses talking almost cyber security, I am bemused almost many businesses getting excited yesteryear information analytics, AI, machine learning. More worryingly I’ve heard of board rooms inwards Commonwealth of Australia contemplating the prospect of hacking dorsum to defend themselves against potential attacks.
That should non live portion of whatever organisation’s cyber security strategy; that would live an illegal deed hither inwards Australia.
An obligation to protecting corporate assets does non extend to breaking the law. No board or companionship should pass a dollar on getting advice on hacking back. I’d recommend you lot assure yourself you lot receive got identified together with are managing your cyber security risks effectively.
If you lot are contemplating this, delight speak to the Australian Cyber Security Centre, nosotros tin either assist you lot focus on what matters, or inwards the instance where your cyber security strategy is Blue Planet class, nosotros may live able to assist you lot further.
In the bulk of hacking cases nosotros investigate, I tin tell you lot the root drive is a known work amongst a known fix. ASD’s Essential Eight is advice that makes a existent divergence when applied.
Now I know for some organisations, the Essential Eight powerfulness non ever live possible inwards legacy information technology environments. That’s OK, but brand sure you lot together with so sympathise your risk, how together with when it tin live addressed.
Large organisations cannot call victim inwards 2018, cyber incidents are foreseeable events.
Technology, connectivity together with software concord much promise, but nosotros shouldn’t but aspect at the benefits – what are the vulnerabilities, what are the risks? This volition require my agency to do what it has done for the lastly seventy years.
As both a poacher together with gamekeeper, nosotros know that offence informs defense forcefulness together with defense forcefulness informs offence. ASD’s strength together with capability come upwards from mastering engineering scientific discipline together with its application.
As the Blue Planet together with the engineering scientific discipline continues to change, so must ASD popular off along to adapt together with change.
It is of import the Australian world sympathise why changes are necessary. That would live hard to do if ASD were to popular off along to live highly secretive almost the nature of its role.
So, await us to live clearer almost how this agency protects Australian interests together with whatever changes to our enabling capabilities.
Of class nosotros volition popular off along to protect many secrets. We volition lose our powerfulness to defend from global threats if capabilities are known to those who would do us harm.
Nonetheless, it is of import that ASD is transparent almost its role, together with the protections that apply to Australian citizens. And that these protections are clear on the confront of our legislation.
So, as my minute career at ASD commences, I desire to destination upwards yesteryear relating all this dorsum to a twain of ASD’s substance values.
We pride ourselves on beingness “audacious inwards concept”. This agency nosotros operate inwards the slim expanse betwixt the hard together with the impossible.
But nosotros house equal store inwards the hope that “we are meticulous inwards execution”. And that agency that nosotros ever deed legally together with ethically.
And nosotros are accountable to the regime together with people of Commonwealth of Australia every twenty-four hr menses to award this undertaking.
This is an edited version of a speech delivered yesteryear Mike Burgess, Director-General ASD, to the National Security Dinner at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, Canberra, on 29 Oct 2018.
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