News

• CERT office opens for business in Brisbane

  The office of the national Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) has opened its doors in Brisbane this month.

• Room for two? CERTainly

  There’s enough cybercrime for Australia’s twin Computer Emergency Response Teams (CERTs), but some say bad blood simmers in the wake of failed negotiations and allegations of staff poaching.

• Telecommunications Amendment Bill passes

  The Federal Government’s Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Amendment Bill 2009 has passed the Senate, widening the range of options for private entities to protect their IT networks from cyber attack.

• Australia pushing for APAC CERT

  The Federal Attorney-General’s department is working on developing greater co-ordination between the international community, business, internet service providers and government agencies to better manage cyber crime, the House of Representatives Inquiry into Cyber Crime has heard.

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  Forensic expert backs Telecommunications Act changes

  A call for intercepted data to be destroyed "as soon as it is no longer required" has been described as shortsighted by the director of one of the country's leading forensic computer labs. The call is part of the Greens’ opposition to amendments to the Telecommunications Interception Act, which was tabled in the Senate.

• France creates new national IT security agency

  France has created a new national IT systems security agency to better defend its IT networks.

• After CERT warning, Microsoft delivers AutoRun fix

  Microsoft is pushing out a software update to some Windows users that fixes a bug in the Windows AutoRun software, used to automatically launch programs when DVDs or USB devices are introduced to the PC.

• Microsoft parries US-CERT alert on Autorun

  Microsoft late Wednesday countered claims by the US Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) that its advice for disabling Windows' "Autorun" was flawed, prompting US-CERT to update an alert it had issued earlier in the day.

• US-CERT: Microsoft's advice on Downadup is flawed

  Microsoft's advice on disabling Windows' "Autorun" feature is flawed, the US Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) said Wednesday, and leaves users who rely on its guidelines to protect their PCs against the fast-spreading Downadup worm open to attack.