UFO hackers

Hi readers

An article in "The Australian Financial Review" (AFR) magazine of August 2010 in the AFR dated 30 July 2010, caught my eye.

It was a piece which starts off talking about the construction of new headquarters for the Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation (ASIO.) The new building is priced at A$M598.

The article goes on to describe a current debate about the role, and increasing cost, of Australia's intelligence agencies.

Australia's intelligence agencies are ASIO; ASIS-Australian Secret Intelligence Service; ONA-the Office of National Assessments; AFP-Australian Federal Police; DIGO-Defence Imagery and Geospatial Organisation; DSD-Defence Signals Directorate; and DIO-Defence Intelligence Organisation.

Professor Hugh White, head of the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre at the Australian National University (ANU) is cited as expressing concern that Australia "...is lagging on recognising and acting to deter the threat of 'cyber-spying' ..."

"Emeritus Professor Paul Dibb, head of the ANU Strategic and Defence Studies Centre advisory board,...says the Defence Signals Directorate-which collects electronic intelligence by monitoring telephone, internet and other communications...should be at the centre of an evolving security and intelligence blueprint..."

The article goes on to examine the "cyber threat" from China, organised crime and hackers, and suggests the need for an increased role for the DSD.

I was mulling over the AFR article as I digested the current issue of the Australian "UFOlogist" magazine (Volume 14 number 2, Jul-Aug 2010.)Here I read a piece by Kathleen McErlain about "Solar warden." McErlain writes that Solar warden "...is the sensitive project name for eight large starfleet carriers which sit in our orbit and operated by the secret government elite of Earth."

I thought to myself, How did we learn of the existence of "Solar warden"?

According to McErlain, "Gary McKinnon in the UK has made headlines the world over for using a pathetically simple PC... to hack into files carelessly left unprotected on a U.S. military computer. He found information on the Solar Warden project...What he found was the names of captains of three of the eight space carriers, and the hull numbers of the carriers."

So, here we have:

(1) The "Australian Financial Review" reporting on the views of those who believe that the Australian Intelligence agency, Defence Signals Directorate should be given an increased role in monitoring "cyber threats" from such people as hackers; and
(2) An individual in the UK who claims to have hacked information, revealing a secret US Government advanced space fleet in Earth orbit.

Quite a contrast in views, don't you think?

For more on McKinnon click here.