Intelligence services



Report

Navigating the crisis: how governments used intelligence for decision making during the COVID-19 pandemic

This report examines how governments — and the societies around them — mobilised intelligence to handle the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects. It also makes recommendations as to how they could improve their ability to organise intelligence for future challenges of all kinds, from pandemics...
Report

The Pacific Fusion Centre: the challenge of sharing information and intelligence in the Pacific

This report examines the Australian-sponsored Pacific Fusion Centre (PFC), which is due to open permanent offices in Vanuatu later this year.
Report

Report of the Comprehensive Review of the Legal Framework of the National Intelligence Community

This review comprehensively examined the effectiveness of the legislative framework governing the National Intelligence Community, and prepared findings and recommendations for reforms. The review was supported by a Secretariat in the Attorney-General's Department (Australia).
Discussion paper

An Australian intellectual edge for conflict and competition in the 21st century

This paper provides insights into how the Australian Defence Force might apply its knowledge of a changing environment to more comprehensively address gaps in its software framework.
Briefing paper

Addressing Australia's vulnerability to weaponised narratives

In a time of endless globalised information flows, Australia must defend its democratic political discussion.
Report

Oversight of intelligence agencies: a comparison of the 'Five Eyes' nations

Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States each have some combination of parliamentary/congressional, independent and judicial oversight of their intelligence agencies, in addition to accountability through the executive branch. However, there are differences in the nature and scope of each of...
Article

The 2017 independent review of intelligence: views from The Strategist

The articles reprinted in this report give a range of perspectives on the recent Australian Intelligence Community (AIC) review and its recommendations.
Report

2017 Independent intelligence review

This review examined the environment in which the intelligence community operates, and consider how effectively it serves Australia’s national interests.
Audio podcast

Signals intelligence and counter-terrorism

For this episode of the podcast Sub Rosa, Andrew interviewed former GCHQ employee David Wells about counter-terrorism. GCHQ is the UK government’s signals intelligence agency, similar to the United States National Security Agency (NSA) or the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD). The interview discusses the nature...
Report

Opportunities abound abroad: optimising our criminal intelligence system overseas

Criminal intelligence (CrimInt) is so useful in serious criminal investigations that it’s difficult to envisage a situation where it shouldn’t be sought and used if it’s available. This special report argues that Australia’s current arrangements for gathering and disseminating CrimInt overseas are suboptimal. While additional...
Report

The report of the Iraq inquiry

In this Executive Summary, the Inquiry sets out its conclusions on a number of issues that have been central to the controversies surrounding Iraq. In addition to the factors that shaped the decision to take military action in March 2003 without support for an authorising...
Report

Australia’s participation in the Pine Gap enterprise

Australian participation in the operation of Pine Gap is effectively complete, with access to all areas of the base except the US National Cryptographic Room. The senior Australian Defence officials who negotiated the original implementing agreement with the CIA sought and obtained access to all...
Book

Geography, power, strategy and defence policy

Paul Dibb AM has had an extraordinary career. He enjoys an international scholarly reputation of the highest order, while at the same time he has done much distinguished public service. He was a pioneer in moving back and forth between posts in government departments, notably...
Report

The antennas of Pine Gap

Antennas are the most readily available and visible evidence of the existence, character, and size of signals intelligence facilities that operate or monitor space systems. Coupled with data on the timing of developments in US geosynchronous satellite programs, the timing of antenna installation now permits...
Report

Report on the impact on journalists of section 35P of the ASIO Act

This report argues that section 35P of the ASIO Act is not justified, and that it does not contain adequate safeguards for protecting the rights of outsiders and is not proportionate to the threat of terrorism or the threat to national security.
Report

Chinese investment in the Port of Darwin: a strategic risk for Australia?

The Port of Darwin lease highlights an urgent need to review how Australia takes account of its national security interests in making decisions about foreign investment.
Report

Managing operations at Pine Gap

The management of operations at the Pine Gap facility has become increasingly complex as the functions of the station have expanded, the number of agencies involved has grown, and the demands of a wider range of ‘users’ or ‘customers’ for the provision of ‘actionable intelligence’...
Report

The SIGINT satellites of Pine Gap: conception, development and in orbit

Pine Gap’s initial and still principal importance to the United States lies in its role as a ground control and processing station for geosynchronous signals intelligence satellites. Nine geosynchronous SIGINT (signals intelligence) satellites have been operated by Pine Gap over the past 45 years. That...
Report

The higher management of Pine Gap

The higher management of Pine Gap is and has always been an entirely American affair. To understand Pine Gap today, it is necessary to understand the organisations of the US intelligence community and military concerned with the acquisition of technical intelligence, and their politics over...
Report

The corporatisation of Pine Gap

The Joint Defence Facility Pine Gap, located just outside the town of Alice Springs in Central Australia and managed by the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), is one of the largest U.S. technical intelligence collection facilities in the world. The corporate presence at Pine Gap...
Report

The militarisation of Pine Gap: organisations and personnel

The Joint Defence Facility Pine Gap, located just outside the town of Alice Springs in Central Australia and managed by the US National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), is one of the largest US technical intelligence collection facilities in the world. Pine Gap today hosts three distinct...
Technical report

Gen Y jihadists: preventing radicalisation in Australia

This paper examines the scope and nature of terrorism motivated by violent Islamist extremism in Australia through a comprehensive database, assesses the policy responses by the government to date, and offers recommendations. Overview In September 2014 the terrorism threat level was raised from ‘medium’ to...
Report

Expanded communications satellite surveillance and intelligence activities utilising multi-beam antenna systems

The recent expansion of FORNSAT/COMSAT (foreign satellite/communications satellite) interception by the UKUSA or Five Eyes (FVEY) partners has involved the installation over the past eight years of multiple advanced quasi-parabolic multi-beam antennas, known as Torus, each of which can intercept up to 35 satellite communications...
Report

Comprehensive revision of the Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act 1979

This inquiry, coinciding with the inquiry into mandatory data retention, examined the need for comprehensive reform of the Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act 1979 in light of changes in technology as well as privacy concerns.
Report

Advisory report on the Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Amendment (Data Retention) Bill 2014

This report recommends the Federal Government introduce a data retention scheme, but also recommends several changes to the proposed legislation.