Uni spies on cyber terrorism

Kim Waters
Deakin University has drawn a cone of silence over its role in a top-secret project to fight terrorists in cyberspace.
The university has refused to reveal what it will do with a $5.9 million Federal Government grant to work on anti-terrorism research and development of information technology.
A Deakin spokesperson was tight-lipped on the project.
“There are confidentiality issues surrounding the work,” the spokesperson said.
“If it’s to do with counter-terrorism, you don’t really want to reveal your secrets.”
Member for Corangamite Darren Cheeseman spilled the beans on the project with a press release this week.
Mr Cheesman said the university’s work would focus on the vulnerability of wireless networks.
The university’s work would be “crucial” to keeping Australian households and businesses safe from cyber-attacks, he said.
“We know that our world is becoming increasingly dependent on computers for business and general communication,” Mr Cheeseman said.
“(Deakin’s) special focus will be recovery options following an attack on this sort of information.”
A spokesperson for Mr Cheese-man said the lack of security for wireless internet in Australian homes and businesses was alarming.
“If you’ve got a wireless network you can take your laptop and sit outside any business or private home and unless they have a security system you can log into their network,” the spokesperson said.
“A lot of people don’t have security systems for their internet. It’s a national issue.”
Cyber-terrorism has emerged as a concern for Australia’s governments after attacks in America and Estonia.
Deakin School of Information Systems senior lecturer John Lamp said most attacks were “staging posts” or politically motivated attacks to take over computer systems.
“It’s the high-tech equivalent of attacking a sign with a spray can,” he said.