Tag: Privacy

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Talking civil use of metadata on ABC 105.7 Darwin

ABC logoWhen mandatory telecommunications data retention legislation was first introduced — the so-called “metadata” retention laws — Australia’s favourite Attorney-General Senator George Brandis QC stressed that it wouldn’t be used for civil proceedings. Guess what just happened?

On Tuesday, Brandis’ office announced a review of the laws to see whether retained metadata could be used — wait for it — in civil proceedings.

On Wednesday I wrote about this in a ZDNet column titled Brandis rushes to release telco metadata for civil proceedings.

And on Wednesday afternoon I spoke about it with Kate O’Toole on ABC 105.7 Darwin. Here’s that conversation.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (4.2MB)

This audio is ©2016 Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

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Weekly Wrap 334: Cybers in both Sydney and Melbourne

Bus Stop Skink: click to embiggenMy week of Monday 17 to Sunday 23 October 2016 was both busy and productive. But this Weekly Wrap is rather late.

I’ll just get on with the facts.

Articles

Podcasts

None, but see the next item.

Media Appearances

  • On Sunday, I was part of the panel discussion that closed the Ruxcon information security conference. I recorded it, and it will soon appear as a Corrupted Nerds podcast.

Corporate Largesse

  • Tuesday through Thursday I was covering the Australian Information Security Association (AISA) national conference. There was food and drink.

[Photo: Bus Stop Skink, photographed at a bus stop in Lilyfield in Sydney’s inner west on 19 October 2016.]

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Weekly Wrap 317: Does the Solstice herald a good new year?

Sydney Harbour at sunset: click to embiggenMy week Monday 20 to Sunday 26 June 2016 saw me emerging from the mysterious illness, and starting to get back into work. Still, I made good progress on most work fronts, even if there’s nothing much to report

Podcasts

This is the final episode of what I’ve called “series 4” of the Edict. There’s a new series and a new schedule from 1 July. I haven’t announced that yet, however, except to say that there’ll be one episode during July. Stay tuned for details.

Media Appearances

Articles and Corporate Largesse

None. For obvious reasons.

The Week Ahead

I’m spending this week in Ashfield, in Sydney’s inner west, but Monday will be a day of travel: errands to Enmore and Lilyfield, then the long commute up to Wentworth Falls and back. Why? To collect some documents I need for my neverending tax compliance catch-up.

Tuesday will see me working with those documents.

On Wednesday, there’s a lunchtime briefing by VMware in the SydneyCBD, after which I’ve got a meeting related to a SEKRIT media project.

On Thursday I’m recording an interview in the morning, then heading to the Sydney CBD to get a haircut, pre-vote for Saturday’s federal election, and get a democracy sausage.

Friday will be a mix of research, writing, and more tax compliance work, depending on my mood at the time.

There’s also geek work scattered through the whole week, but I won’t go into the details here.

Saturday is federal election day in Australia. While I’m not sure what I’ll be doing during the day, the evening will doubtless be spent watching to election specials on TV. It’ll be a close result, by all accounts, so I’m really looking forward to it.

Further Ahead

While the following few weeks are still be be organised, I can say that I’ll be going to theGartner Security & Risk Management Summit in Sydney on 22-23 August, and the AISA National Conference in Sydney on 18-20 October.

[Photo: Sydney Harbour at sunset, photographed on 22 June 2016 while crossing the Sydney Harbour Bridge.]

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Weekly Wrap 312: How can this possibly be right?

Sydney Harbour Bridge from 35 Clarence Street: click to embiggenMonday 16 to Sunday 22 May 2016 was another week that went pretty much to plan. That’s two in a row!

I won’t jinx it by saying anything else.

Articles

Podcasts

None, but I’ve started work on the next episode of The 9pm Edict.

Media Appearances

None.

Corporate Largesse

  • On Tuesday, I went to the Sydney media launch for Huawei’s Mate 8 smartphone. Drinks and canapés were served, and I now have a loaner review unit of said phone. I’ll post my comments in due course.
  • On Wednesday, I went to a lunchtime briefing by SimpliVity at GPO Prime Steak Restaurant, where the food and wine was as stunning as ever. We also received a goodie bag containing SimpliVity-branded Google Cardboard VR viewer, Chipolo Bluetooth tracker tag, and pen.

The Week Ahead

Monday morning begins with sorting out a billion loose ends. Well half a billion. Then I’ll finish that episode of The 9pm Edict podcast.

On Tuesday, I’ll take the train to Sydney to deal with a few errands, and then at 1510 catch VA527 SYD-OOL. From Tuesday evening through to Friday afternoon, I’ll be covering the AusCERT Cyber Security Conference on the Gold Coast. Apart from my usual conference coverage, once more I’ll be on the panel for the event’s closing Speed Debate. And then at 1705 I’ll be heading back south on VA536 OOL-SYD.

I’ll then be staying in Sydney overnight, and probably for the weekend, but that latter part has yet to be confirmed.

Further Ahead

On the afternoon of Saturday 4 June, I hope to be recording The 9pm Edict Public House Forum 3 at a location to be announced. If nothing else, it’s half-way through Australia’s interminable election campaign, so I suspect that may be one of the topics for discussion. I have left the organisation a bit late, however, so I may have to drop it back to an ordinary episode.

Another episode will appear some time around Monday 20 June.

[Photo: Sydney Harbour Bridge from 35 Clarence Street. Photograph taken in the late afternoon of 17 May 2016 from the rooftop bar at 35 Clarence Street, Sydney.]

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Weekly Wrap 311: A week that went to plan, mostly

Red Dawn: click to embiggenMy week of Monday 9 to Sunday 15 May 2016 went pretty much to plan. I think that’s all that needs to be said.

Articles

Podcasts

None, but earlier today I made a special announcement.

Media Appearances

None.

Corporate Largesse

None, but there’ll be quite a lot next week.

The Week Ahead

Monday is about bookkeeping and sorting out a billion loose ends.

Tuesday will be a geek-work day, and in the afternoon I’ll be heading to Sydney for a launch event for Huawei’s new Mate 8 smartphone. I’ll be staying in Sydney overnight.

On Wednesday, I’m going to a media lunch with Doron Kempel, founder and global CEO of SimpliVity. While I tense up every time I near their buzzword “hyperconvergence”, Mr Kempel is one of those tech CEOs who can talk intelligently about the industry as a whole without turning everything into a product pitch. The day ends with drinks with a friend.

Thursday will be a writing day. I’ll also be returning to Wentworth Falls.

Friday will be another bookkeeping day, with a medical appointment in Sydney at the end.

The weekend will see me put together an episode of The 9pm Edict podcast.

Further Ahead

On 24-27 May, I’m covering the AusCERT Cyber Security Conference on the Gold Coast. Apart from my usual conference coverage, once more I’ll be on the panel for the event’s closing Speed Debate.

On the afternoon of Saturday 4 June, I’ll be recording The 9pm Edict Public House Forum 3 at a location to be announced. If nothing else, it’s half-way through Australia’s interminable election campaign, so I suspect that may be one of the topics for discussion. Another episode will appear some time around Monday 20 June.

[Update 15 May 2016, 1750 AEST: Edited to reflect changes to “The Week Ahead”.]

[Photo: Red Dawn. Smoke from the hazard-reduction burns in the Blue Mountains National Park may have made the air more difficult to breathe, but it also made for some spectacular dawns. This was the view from Rosella Cottages at Bunjaree Cottages, near Wentworth Falls, on 12 May 2016. Not bad for an iPhone camera in low light.]