Security Implications for Internet Filtering (Censorship)

Posted on January 5th, 2009 by Drazen Drazic

Looking at the interest from around the world for Matt’s interview published on Ban.This.Url last month regarding the Australian Government mandatory Internet filtering plan. Not surprisingly, no calls to Securus Global from Senator Conroy’s department to discuss our position. But who are we anyway?

Matt took a different approach to most of the anti-filtering arguments and what should have raised some concerns with the government has been brushed like all other arguments before it. One wonders if Conroy is planning to play this out until he gets the result he wants - ie; trying to outstay the critics. Common sense would say this is a ridiculous position to take (as mentioned over and over here) but who knows what their real plans are. This hasn’t been a transparent exercise from the start. A few of the links worth a look. Heaps more on Google.

Beyond the Fringe
Somebody Think of the Children
The Inquirer
Government Security
Overclockers
Hack in the Box

Latest update here. I wonder if it will continue to be “delayed”?

Posted in Internet Filtering | 1 Comment »

Wireless Broadband Woes……

Posted on January 5th, 2009 by Drazen Drazic

Happy New Year to you all who visit Beast or Buddha. 2009!….gees, 2008 went quick. I suppose everyone is saying that though. I’m still in Townsville and will probably be here until the end of January….a bit of holiday mixed in with a load of work. Securus Global has never been busier.

Optus isn’t making it easy for me though and you really begin to appreciate Internet access speeds in the bigger cities (though far from being world leading in Australia as I’ve mentioned before). I hear from others here that Telstra’s wireless broadband offering is not much better.

I don’t know why or how they can even sell it. It’s not reception that is the killer but rather the load. Most times you get bumped off and at best, you’re working with speeds slower than dial-up. Try loading a web page and you’re in for a 2 minute wait most of the time. The lady at the Optus shop quite openly mentioned; “Yeah…there’s only one tower servicing area X and it can’t cope with the load…pretty much the same everywhere!”. I suppose you’d have to ask; “Why do you keep selling this service up here then?” but you know it’s not going to help much. Given there’s only one other choice and that’s not that good either, what’s their incentive to improve things in the short term?

Big deal?! Not really….actually, I’m more worried about Australia’s slide from the top of the cricket world but that’s another story. Anyway, there’s worse things happening in the world and we’re in a lucky country so we should count our blessings. Normal transmission resumes soon……..

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Deep Probes and Cavity Searches are the Key?

Posted on December 23rd, 2008 by Drazen Drazic

Enjoyed this post over at Donal’s site, (as I do all his stuff). Well worth a read…click on:
Ockham’s Razor; Cavity Searches and Internet Filtering.

Posted in Bad Stuff, Dumb Security, Internet Filtering, WTF | No Comments »

Australian Internet Filtering/Censorship - Worrying…….

Posted on December 23rd, 2008 by Drazen Drazic

Some really concerning updates at News.com and the recent blog post on the Government site. It really is no wonder that there are some very worried and scared people out there. I don’t know what is scarier:

- That Conroy and co. are so determined to make this work even against expert advice.
- That they actually believe they can make it work (slight difference to the last point).
- Who is whispering in their ears? (Still no answers to this though I acknowledge they probably have thousands of questions to answer).
- That the ISPs themselves still seem to have little clue about what the hell is going on even though this is due to start!
- That questions about our freedoms are being brushed aside.
- That they actually believe they will protect the children. Guys, remember Bob Hawke protecting the children?

All Australian Internet Filtering/Censorship posts here.

Posted in Bad Stuff, Dumb Security, Internet Filtering, WTF | No Comments »