- Australia’s domestic intelligence agency, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, released a rare public statement last week aimed at raising awareness about the use of social media and professional networking services for espionage purposes.
- ‘Think before you link’ focuses on foreign intelligence threats and rightly cautions Australians to be careful about revealing personal information on networking services.
- Even though ASIO’s warning focuses on Australians being recruited or duped by professional spies, online targeting and the creation of fake profiles and inauthentic networks are not just the realm of highly resourced state-sponsored cyber operatives. The tools and techniques used are cheap, simple and widely accessible. It’s not difficult, or expensive, to create an online presence with a unique artificial intelligence-generated profile picture.
- Data itself can be difficult to monetise, but deep insights into individuals derived from data are highly valuable. Data broking is believed to be a US$200 billion industry.
– Jocelinn Kang | November 23, 2020
