Watch out crims: AFP and Telstra to fight hi-tech crime

Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Wednesday, 10 December 2008 10:32

IT Industry - Strategy

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) says it is engaging in a new partnership with Australian telco Telstra to “strengthen its world-leading capability in countering new technology-enabled crime”.

With cybercrime, banking Trojans, malware, spyware, crimeware, botnets, identity theft, online criminals and worse absolutely booming as the world goes into an economic recession, authorities around the world are working on ways to fight back.

It’s no different in Australia, with the Australian Federal Police (AFP) firmly placing cybercrime under the microscope, and now even more so by signing a “Joint Cooperation Agreement” with Australia’s dominant telco, Telstra, to “enhance their long-standing partnership by increasing ongoing collaboration and assistance in the information and communication technology sectors.”
 
Both organisations say that the “Agreement will set the framework for the AFP and Telstra to work even more closely in the area of technology-enabled crime. It will assist the AFP in gaining a better understanding of the evolution of the telecommunications environment, training and development activities.”
 
Under the Agreement, the cooperation between the AFP and Telstra will be focused on:

- Identity fraud and internet-enabled crime such as Phishing;
- Online paedophile activity;
- Child protection and education;
- Botnet networks and organised crime syndicates;
- Online terrorism activities;
- Targeted attacks on public, government and private sector computer networks.
 
Professional development of Telstra and AFP staff and employee secondment arrangements will also be undertaken as part of the Agreement.
 
AFP Acting Commissioner Tony Negus and Telstra Chief Operations Officer Greg Winn signed the Joint Cooperation Agreement at AFP headquarters in Canberra.
 
Acting Deputy Commissioner Andrew Colvin said rapid technological developments in the 21st Century had created potential for new forms of criminal activity to develop, as well as variations of traditional crimes.
 
What Colvin said is on page 2, please read on.