Australian Defence Studies Centre

Australian Defence Studies Centre

OPTIMISING OPEN SOURCE INFORMATION SHARING

IN AUSTRALIA:

REPORT AND POLICY PRESCRIPTION

Paper presented at the Pacific Information-Sharing Forum (PacInfo ’99)

Monterey, California

7-10 February 1999

Lieutenant Colonel Ian Wing

Chief of the Defence Force Scholarship Fellow

Australian Defence Force

University College

Australian Defence Force Academy

CANBERRA ACT 2600

Telephone: +61 (0)2 6268 6253

Facsimile: +61 (0)2 6268 8440

E-mail:

Web:

INTRODUCTION

Australia is taking positive steps to optimise open source information (OSI) and open source intelligence (OSINT).

This paper consists of five parts.

First, it provides a short introduction to my country. This will give those of you who are not familiar with Australia sufficient information to understand the opportunities that we enjoy and the challenges that we face.

Second, it describes the Australian intelligence community, including the national security, law enforcement and business intelligence elements.

Third, it reports on the conference which I convened in Canberra in October last year. The conference was titled ‘Optimising Open Source Information’ and our major speaker was Robert Steele. I am very grateful for his support to my conference and for the opportunity to continue to promote open sources by speaking at this conference.

Fourth, it describes Australian developments in OSI and OSINT using several case studies.

And fifth, it provides a policy prescription for the future development for OSI and OSINT in Australia, and mentions some of the important current issues which Australia is facing.

PART ONE - AUSTRALIA

Geography, History and Government

Australia is the sixth-largest country in the world.[1] It is an island continent with the same land area as the contiguous United States (less Alaska). It is also responsible for a maritime Exclusive Economic Zone of approximately the same size.

But of the world’s 217 nations, Australia is ranked only fifty-first in national population. The population of Australia is 18,750,982 (as at June 1998), approximately the same as the state of New York.

Despite its comparatively small population, and low population density, Australia has a successful economy. The Gross National Product (GNP) of Australia is US$337,909,000,000 which is ranked thirteenth in the world.[2]

Australia was first inhabited by the Aboriginal people who migrated from Asia about 40,000 years ago. After the American defeat of the British in the War of Independence (1775-1783), British convicts could no longer be sent to the former British colonies in America. As a result, a penal settlement was established at Sydney Cove in 1788 and this was Australia’s first European settlement. Over the next seventy years other British colonies were established around the Australian coastline, and these formed the basis of the states of Australia.

Australia became a nation in 1901. It has a federal system of government, consisting of a Federal Parliament led by the Prime Minister, six states, each with their own parliament, and two territories with responsibility for self-government.

Slide Show

I will now show a short slide presentation that is intended to give you a ‘feel’ for my country. The slides show:

Map of Australia
Canberra, the capital
Sheep farming
Sydney, the Harbour Bridge
Sydney, the Opera House
Sydney, Bondi Beach
Alpine Australia
Melbourne, city skyline
Australian Rules Football
Twelve Apostles, Victoria
Hobart
Cradle Mountain, Tasmania
Adelaide, city skyline
Flinder’s Ranges, South Australia
Ayers Rock, Northern Territory
Henley-On-Todd riverbed race, Alice Springs
Chambers Pillar, Northern Territory
Koala
Brisbane, city skyline
Barrier Reef, Queensland coast
Lorikeet
Perth, city skyline
Rottnest Island, Western Australia
Kangaroo

I hope that you enjoyed that quick tour of Australia – now let’s move on to the Australian Intelligence Community. The information contained in this section of the paper is unclassified.

PART TWO - THE AUSTRALIAN INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY

History

The Australian Intelligence Community (AIC) has its origins in the close cooperation Australia provided in intelligence and security matters to the United Kingdom and the United States during World War II. This cooperation continued and intensified after the end of the war, reflecting the shared strategic interests of Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and New Zealand, both globally and in the Asia-Pacific region.

Composition

The Australian Intelligence Community is composed of five agencies.

1.The Australian Security Intelligence Organization (ASIO)

ASIO is responsible for the collection and analysis of domestic security intelligence. The United States equivalent of ASIO is the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), although ASIO has no direct law enforcement responsibility.

ASIO was established in 1949 to help protect Australia and its people from such threats to national security as:

espionage;
sabotage;
politically motivated violence (PMV);
the promotion of communal violence (PCV),
attacks on Australia’s defence system, and
acts of foreign interference.

ASIO’s main job is to gather security intelligence, use it to assess Australia’s security situation, and then advise the government. In addition to security intelligence, ASIO has a significant interest in providing:

strategic security assessments;
security vetting;
protective security advice;
threat assessments; and
security briefings.

The primary clients for the services provided by ASIO are:

other members of the Australian Intelligence Community;
Australian law enforcement agencies; and
relevant departments of state.

ASIO is the lead federal agency for intelligence and security support to the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. The Olympic Intelligence Management Plan (OIMP) provides comprehensive guidance for all intelligence agencies involved in Olympic Games, and the integration of the National Anti-Terrorist Plan (NATP) and the related National Crisis Management Response Arrangements (NCMRA).

ASIO is the most regulated member of the Australian Intelligence Community as it is the body most likely to come into contact with Australian citizens.

The scope of ASIO’s operations and activities are prescribed in the Australian Security Intelligence Organization Act 1979.

2.Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS)

ASIS is responsible for the collection of foreign human intelligence. The United States equivalent of ASIS is the human intelligence collection function of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

ASIS was established under a Cabinet Directive. In 1995, it was proposed that the Service should be set upon a statutory footing, which would be likely to increase the regulation of ASIS’ activities, but this action has yet to be taken.

3.Defence Signals Directorate (DSD)

DSD collects foreign signals intelligence and is responsible for communications security issues. The United States equivalent of DSD is the National Security Agency (NSA).

DSD’s principal mission is to intercept foreign communications on significant political, military and economic developments in Australia’s region (and beyond) which impact on Australia’s strategic interests.

The primary customers for the intelligence which DSD collects are:

key policy-making departments;
the intelligence assessment agencies (the Defence Intelligence Organisation and the Office of National Assessments, which are described below); and
the Australian Defence Force.

It is important to stress that DSD is a foreign intelligence collector and it is generally not permitted to collect information about Australian citizens or companies.

DSD is also concerned with protecting sensitive Australian Government information from disclosure to parties who are hostile to Australia’s national interests.

4.Defence Intelligence Organisation (DIO)

DIO is an assessment organisation producing intelligence assessments on subjects of defence and military interest. The United States equivalent of DIO is the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA).

DIO is, like DSD, a sub-program of the Department of Defence, and employs a mixture of civilian and military staff. The primary function of DIO is to develop and manage research and reporting programs to meet the requirements of the Australian Defence Organisation (ADO), and other government agencies, for Defence related intelligence.

DIO seeks to monitor and analyse Australia’s strategic environment, develop and maintain holdings of defence intellig0ence, respond to tasking on intelligence topics, and provide assessments on issues relevant to Defence related developments and capabilities of countries of interest to Australia.

DIO is an assessment agency with limited collection capabilities. DIO levies collection requirements on collection agencies, military attaches and the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The ADF contains joint and single service intelligence collection and analysis capabilities. These operate at the strategic, operational and tactical levels, and are subject to technical control from DIO.

The Australian Imagery Organisation (AIO) was formed largely from DIO resources in 1998. The AIO is responsible for the management and analysis of national technical means and strategic imagery.

5.Office of National Assessments (ONA)

ONA is an intelligence assessment agency, producing strategic assessments of international, political and economic issues of national importance. The United States equivalent of ONA is the analysis function of the CIA.

ONA’s mission is to enhance the basis for Australian government policy making by anticipating and analysing international change and its implications for Australia.

ONA has two primary functions, namely to:

provide reporting and assessment on matters of political, strategic or economic significance to Australia; and
review Australia’s foreign intelligence effort.

ONA does not collect intelligence, rather, it relies on intelligence gathered by others on which to base its assessments.

The formal authority for ONA is derived from the Office of National Assessments Act 1977. ONA is a statutory body staffed under the Public Service Act, which reports directly to the Prime Minister.

Political and Bureaucratic Coordination

Each of the intelligence agencies is the responsibility of a Minister of the Australian Government. Each Minister is ultimately responsible for the activities and policy of the agency under their control, although the day to day management of the agencies is the responsibility of the head of each agency.

Ministers exercise collective oversight over the intelligence community through the National Security Committee of Cabinet (NSCC). The NSCC sets broad policy and priorities for the intelligence community, and endorses agency budgets. The NSCC meets monthly.

The NSCC’s level of scrutiny is necessarily broad. To assist it, the NSCC relies on a committee of senior officials to coordinate the provision of advice to the Government. This body is known as the Secretaries Committee on National Security (SCNS).

SCNS is required to coordinate advice to the NSCC on national security policy, including approaches to international strategic developments and major issues of long term relevance to Australia’s national interests.

The NSCC and SCNS are supported by several senior officers located in the International Division of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

Broad foreign intelligence priorities are set by the NSCC through its endorsement of two key documents: the Foreign Intelligence Planning Document (FIPD), and the National Foreign Intelligence Assessment Priorities (NFIAPs).

The FIPD prescribes the longer-term strategic direction of Australia’s foreign intelligence requirements, and sets the broad framework for the development of the NFIAPs. The outlook of the FIPD is for a period of five to seven years, but this is reviewed every three years. The NFIAPs set the government’s assessment priorities for countries and themes for about the next eighteen months to two years, and also provide the framework for defining detailed collection requirements.

Within the framework of government guidance, intelligence requirements for all collectors are further defined by the National Intelligence Collection Requirements Committee (NICRC), chaired by ONA. Here, the representatives of key policy departments on the Committee set all-source national collection requirements, and identify those agencies which are best placed to undertake the collection. These requirements may be supplemented by additional tasking by customers and the NICRC is advised of details of this additional tasking on a monthly basis.

Oversight Arrangements

The current form and shape of the Australian Intelligence Community was largely set in place following two major judicial reviews of the intelligence agencies in 1974 and 1984. These inquiries were both led by Mr Justice Robert Hope, a Judge of Appeal, in the Supreme Court of New South Wales. Each of Justice Hope’s inquiries led to significant improvements in the arrangements for oversight and coordination of Australia’s Intelligence Community.

One of the most important changes recommended by Mr Justice Hope was the creation of an Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS). This office was created by the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security Act 1986, and came into being on 1 February 1987.

The IGIS exists to ensure that the five Australian intelligence agencies can be held directly accountable for their actions, in a manner which does not put Australia’s national security interests at risk.

Put more simply, the IGIS is the Government’s watchdog helping the responsible Ministers to ensure that the intelligence and security agencies act legally and with propriety; that they comply with Government policy directives and guidelines; and that they have appropriate regard to human rights.

The Australian Institute of Professional Intelligence Officers

The Australian Institute of Professional Intelligence Officers (AIPIO) is the pre-eminent forum for professional intelligence officers from all fields of intelligence. AIPIO promotes intelligence as a recognised profession in Australia by setting professional standards, recognising excellence, facilitating the exchange of information and encouraging research.

The annual AIPIO conference, INTEL ’99, will he held at the Sheraton on the Park Hotel, in Sydney, on 20-21 October 1999. The conference theme is ‘Intelligence Pathways: Maintaining the Advantage in the Twenty-first Century’. The conference will include three major plenary sessions and three concurrent teaching workshops. All details about the conference will be available on the AIPIO home page at

International conference delegates and applications for membership from other nations are warmly welcomed by AIPIO.

Associated Agencies

The Australian Intelligence Community works closely with a number of government and non-government agencies. These include:

the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet;
the Department of the Treasury;
the Attorney-General’s Department;
the Department of Defence;
the Department of Finance and Administration;
the Department of Transport and Regional Services;
the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts;
the Department of Industry, Science and Resources;
the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry;
the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs;
the Department of Justice and Customs; and
the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade consists of six programs:

International Relations, Trade and Business Liaison;
Passports and Consular Services;
Services to Other Agencies;
Secure Government Communications and Security Services;
Executive and Corporate Services; and
Development Cooperation.

The Department works closely with the Australian Intelligence Community although it is not formally a member of the Community. It is both a provider and consumer of intelligence.

Law Enforcement

The Australian Federal system of government is reflected in the structure of its law enforcement. Law enforcement agencies operate at both the federal or commonwealth level (with appropriate jurisdiction for the entire country and responsibility for liaison with international agencies), and at the state and territory level (with jurisdiction for the particular state or territory).

Law enforcement and related agencies which operate at the federal level include:

the Australian Federal Police (AFP);
the Office of Strategic Crime Assessments (OSCA);
the Australian Bureau of Criminal Intelligence (ABCI);
the National Crime Authority (NCA);
the Australian Transaction, Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC);
the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC);
the Australian Customs Service (ACS); and
the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).

The Australian Federal Police (AFP)

The AFP is a commonwealth statutory authority which has national jurisdiction under Commonwealth law. The AFP works in partnership with other Australian police forces and law enforcement agencies. The United States equivalent of the AFP is the law enforcement function of the FBI.

The AFP also has responsibility for the community policing of the Australian Capital Territory, Jervis Bay and external territories.

The Office of Strategic Crime Assessments (OSCA)

OSCA is an all-source intelligence assessment organisation that provides the Government with a policy-relevant, system-wide overview of significant crime trends and criminal threats to Australia likely to emerge within the next five years.

Its intelligence role focuses on strategic and over-the-horizon forecasting and assessment, with a large requirement for global monitoring of a broad range of trends, developments and indicators.

The Australian Bureau of Criminal Intelligence (ABCI)

The ABCI provides a cooperative national criminal intelligence service for Australian law enforcement. It is comprised of sworn and unsworn members from all of the Australian police services.

The primary functions of the ABCI are: research and distribution of criminal intelligence; liaison; identification of national projects for operational action; and recommend proposals for legislative changes to combat organised crime.

The ABCI is similar in function to the National Criminal Intelligence Service of the United Kingdom, although it does not have an operational arm. The ABCI has worked in partnership with the law enforcement agencies to develop and enhance the Australian Criminal Intelligence Database (ACID) and the Australian Law Enforcement Intelligence Net (ALEIN) for use as a secure national computerised intelligence facility.

State and Territory Police Services