Australia’s Cyber Army Been Busy At Work – Report
Now it can be said. Australia does just not have a cyber-army, but the group actually works to protect the country’s interests. A report by the Australian Financial Review said the Australian Signals Directorate, or ASD, had actually launched cyber-attacks on terrorists in the Middle East that were conspiring against Australia.
The report said the group had been doing the strategy for over a decade. Known as the “computer network attack,” or CNA, team within the ASD, the members are tasked to create to build offensive digital warfare tools. To ensure such tools are being met and up-to-date, the ASD even openly advertises for hackers who are "passionate about breaking and securing computer systems" with "knowledge of offensive and defensive techniques to protect Australia's interests.”
The CNA specialists, according to the report, are just but a small bunch who source their software from the larger CNA resources residing inside America's NSA and Britain's GCHQ. From these, the CNA then develop its own malware.
The AFR report, citing unidentified intelligence sources, noted Australia’s offensive cyber skills have been sophisticated that it was able to “hit back against a non-democratic state that was pilfering our public and private secrets.” The CNA specialists reportedly planted malware on foreign servers, which later deleted data and deactivated the cooling systems. The report did not reveal further details as well as the identity of the mentioned state.
The revelation of the CNA team comes in the heels of the infiltration that happened in Sony’s computer network in the last quarter of 2014. The act was owned by a North Korean hacking collective called the "Guardians of Peace." The group crept into Sony's computer network for months and was able to steal more than 100 terabytes of confidential data. On Nov. 24, it shocked the world when it leaked sensitive salary details of Sony employees as well as three unreleased films.
The hacking incident was reportedly triggered by the comedy film titled ‘The Interview," where the CIA plots to assassinate North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un. North Korea's Ambassador to the United Nations, Ja Song-nam, in his letter to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, wanted the U.S. to ban the distribution and showing of the said film, otherwise it will be held responsible for “encouraging and sponsoring terrorism." The film, according to North Korea, was an "undisguised sponsoring of terrorism as well as an act of war.”