New Wireless in Parliament Needs to be Bulletproof
New Wireless in Parliament Needs to be Bulletproof
December 2007 A new wireless internet system in Canberra's Parliament House will need to be bulletproof from attacks by cyber hackers, according to the senior public servant responsible for the building. Department of Parliamentary Services secretary Hillary Penfold told The Australian last night the new system would "take into account security issues" and she admitted it would be of interest to unauthorised users. However, she said it was a beat-up to suggest the decision to involve the country's most secretive spy agency to provide guidance was an indication of more serious security concerns. The Australian yesterday reported that the Defence Signals Directorate would oversee security for the proposed new wireless internet system at Parliament House to ensure that unauthorised users, including foreign government hackers, could not exploit the system. The move comes only months after China was reported to have tried to hack into highly classified government computer networks in Australia as part of a broader international operation to glean military secrets from Western nations. The Department of Parliamentary Services is conducting a feasibility study for a plan to provide wireless internet access throughout Parliament House. This would allow parliamentarians and staffers to send emails on laptops anywhere within Parliament House, including the Senate and House of Representative chambers. As part of its study, DPS has requested "guidance" from DSD in relation to its plans for the new system, which will be available only to authorised users inside Parliament House. ..Cameron Stewart
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