Australian spooks want mobile dev to build ... something

The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) seems set to equip Australian spooks with mobile apps. The Reg is happy to make that assertion on the back of this job ad seeking a “Mobile Applications Developer” with “Development experience with iOS and/or Android (desirable).” We asked ASIO why it needs a mobile …

[Anonymous Coward]

If I had to guess,

I'd say it would be an app to let them pre-order custom sandwiches from the ASIO canteen.

They might also need an app for Melbourne cup sweeps.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: If I had to guess,

imitate or mine Apple and M$ data collection apps to poke thru info contained within and forward it on?

[Thorne]

Re: If I had to guess,

It's "Spying for Dummies"

[Rattus Rattus]

"... might usefully do"

I doubt ASIO can "usefully" do anything.

[JT163]

How will they get out of the walled garden?

iOS powered bluetooth rocks.

best not use iOS6 - the wireless is a bit shit.

There you have the national saving data in your wireless rock dead drop and you can't get the bloddy thing to register on you 802.11 network.

On a more serious note.

I thought it was illegal to circumvent copy protection i.e. root an iPhone.

That could be a real problem as the Apple Store may not aprove the ASIO app.

I'm thinking android might be a better choice.

[Reg Blank]

ASIO isn't into comms security . . .

. . . that is up to the Defence Signals Directorate (Australia's NSA) who handles AustGov communications and their security. They should be handling handset security app development.

ASIO is an investigative service like MI5, so more likely this is app subversion for surveillance purposes and app investigation for forensic purposes.

They are going to need a team in-house who can capture or recover data passing through suspect mobile devices. They should already have such a team, but this is ASIO . . .

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: ASIO isn't into comms security . . .

... Its just an op they're running dontchaknow... Ofcourse they already have access to mobile device forensic and stealth user tracking / data collection capabilities. Probably some important .gov.au type person or department / organisation suffered a nasty compromise via their phones/ipads, and this is just bait, hoping that the same people / organisation responsible will take the 'opportunity' to try to slip one or two of their tainted developers in to 'ASIO', who in in turn are just playing the game on behalf of some other .gov.au org to try and reverse-pwn the perpetrators and identify them from their job applications, the security clearance vetting process, their coding style...

(Anonymous Coward, even tho they already know who i am).

[Anonymous Coward]

Given the pay-rates...

With the pay on offer they are looking to hire

1. Rookie devs who haven't been able to make money carding or selling custom hacks (yet)

2. previously imported developers exiting the financial industry's devastated IT departments in droves, desperate to be paid more to stay in Oz, let alone have something interesting to do.

3. Either way they won't be building unexploitable or even safe code, let alone anything useful.

In terms of what ASIO is wanting to watch, perhaps it is the order rate at coffee and donut shops, so they will know where to place their orders without having to break the law to see inside order queues.