1. 10 NEWS SPECIAL INVESTIGATION thesundaymail.com.au
thesundaymail.com.au
Big Brother set to
Super spy surveillance network to fight crime
EXCLUSIVE Experts behind an With tens of thousands of Dozens of new public sur- operationally,’’ Mr Bigdeli said. they just move it to areas
Kelmeny Fraser Australian-first trial of the ‘‘face prints’’, the database has veillance cameras have been ‘‘Everyone carries a barcode where there are no cameras.’’
technology in Queensland ex- triggered privacy fears over its installed in Queensland in the on their face. I have no doubt Ipswich City Council has a
AUTHORITIES could soon pect it to lead to a sophisti- future use, despite legislation past four years under a Federal if they prove this to be effec- memorandum of understand-
be watching your every move cated public surveillance net- limiting access by police. Government program. tive and useful, in a very short ing with NICTA, but a spokes-
under controversial plans for a work enabling facial recog- The Queensland trial of NICTA senior researcher time we will see these rolled man said it had no immediate
Queensland-wide surveillance nition technology to identify smart CCTV surveillance Abbas Bigdeli said it was in out everywhere.’’ plans for a facial recognition
network equipped with facial ‘‘persons of interest’’ wherever would be run by the Federal early negotiations to base the The plan has alarmed the trial.
recognition technology. there was a CCTV camera. Government-funded research face recognition trial at Ips- Queensland Council for Civil Mayor Paul Pisasale said he
In the ultimate Big Brother Researchers would seek ac- body National ICT Australia. wich’s surveillance centre, Liberties with president would need to feel satisfied it
crime-fighting tool, the super cess to police databases under NICTA will also investigate which monitors 200 cameras. Michael Cope labelling it would increase public safety
network of cameras in public the trial, including images whether the many council-run The trial’s first phase is ‘‘straight out of Big Brother’’. before signing up.
spaces would be used to weed collected of graffiti offenders. public surveillance networks earmarked for late this year. ‘‘These things are far from The Federal Government
out troublemakers and serious But an even bigger database could be linked to a central ‘‘It is much more advanced foolproof. You have a serious does not regulate use of facial
offenders by electronically of facial features is being nerve centre. Some councils than it was many years ago risk that people will be recognition technology, but
scouring databases of poten- collected with the new smart are struggling to provide and the purpose of this trial misidentified,’’ he said. ‘‘There limits collection and use of
tially thousands of facial fea- licence in Queensland, which round-the-clock monitoring of is to see if it is now at a is clear evidence that cameras personal information and
tures for a match. uses facial recognition. public surveillance networks. stage where it can be used don’t actually reduce crime, images.
Hackers not ethical: police Confusion over use
From Page 1
The cyberspy company
scribe what the Indian com-
pany offered to do as ‘‘ethical
puter criminals was outstripp-
ing the abilities of staff in
of new smartcards
charges $490 a month hacking’’ – accessing emails Australian companies and STAY SAFE MORE than 58,000 people Roads and Queensland Police
for three months worth of and passwords crossed the government. ONLINE have been issued new Service at odds over the use of
hacking, giving customers a line into criminal activity. ‘‘These people are drooling smartcard driving licences de- the mobile technology to read
log-in so they can check a ‘‘People should tread very over the NBN (national ■ Never reveal your email signed to stop people illegally the cards.
secure site to see what emails warily,’’ he said, warning that broadband network) because password. holding multiple licences. A Transport Department
have been captured. anyone who was a party to it will make it faster,’’ Prof But the Department of spokesman last month said
The company boasted it the hacking could be charged Caelli said. ■ Choose a complex Transport and Main Roads police cars were being fitted
had a team of experts in cyber in Australia or overseas. The latest hacking attack eight-character said it had no plans to sweep with in-car technology to read
law, cyber security and ‘‘ethi- Professor Bill Caelli, senior on Queenslanders’ emails password, including the system for rorters. and authenticate the cards.
cal hacking’’, and said by research scientist at Queens- comes as a British teenager at upper and lower-case Instead, each new applicant But in a statement, a
using its services a customer land University of Techno- the centre of a global hacking letters, numbers and would be scanned with facial Queensland Police Service
could avoid legal hassles in logy’s Information Security investigation faces charges symbols. recognition software before spokesman told The Sunday
their own country. Institute, said a new gener- over a cyber attack on the being issued a new card. Mail: ‘‘Police have no oper-
It claimed to be one of the ation of computer criminals UK’s Serious and Organised ■ Change it regularly. An audit of Victorian ational requirement to use in-
largest information security was offering services to other Crime Agency. driver’s licence holders, using car technology to access the
companies in India and said criminals – or anyone who Australia’s intelligence ■ Install antivirus facial recognition technology, card data to carry out their
some of its personnel were would pay. agencies have detected software. this year led to 600 cases normal duties.’.
ex-military intelligence. ‘‘They even give a quality 250,000 cases of hacking in being referred to police. Queensland Council of Civil
But Superintendent Brian guarantee,’’ Prof Caelli said. the past six months, with the ■ Never open an Confusion remains around Liberties president Michael
Hay of Queensland’s Fraud ‘‘It’s a major activity.’’ passwords, account details attachment unless you how Queensland’s new Cope has called for strict
and Corporate Crime Group He said the sophisticated and personal information of know who sent it. smartcard will be used, with limitations on access to the
said it was nonsense to de- hacking expertise of the com- Australians stolen. the Department of Main new card by police.
Page 10 JUNE 26 2011