http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-03-05/phones-stymie-police-efforts-to-prevent-underworld-crime/5301256
> Australian law enforcement agencies are increasingly unable to monitor the > communications of some of the country's most powerful criminals due to the > rising prevalence of uncrackable encrypted phones. > > The phones are linked to a series of the underworld killings that rocked > Sydney, several senior law enforcement officials told the ABC on condition of > anonymity. > > The phones are sold by dozens of companies worldwide and have legitimate uses. > > But the law enforcement officials say thousands of the phones have been > obtained by Australian criminals and they are using them to commit serious > crimes, including murder. > > One company is Phantom Secure, a Canadian-based seller of encrypted > Blackberries. > > The ABC does not suggest the company itself is aware its products are being > used by criminals, only that criminals have become aware of the phone's > utility and have taken advantage. > > Phantom Secure did not respond to requests for an interview or to questions > sent by the ABC. > > The Phantom Blackberries cost up to $2,760, which includes a six-month > subscription to the company's data service. > > At the end of that subscription a user can spend a further $2,000 to renew > their six-month subscription. > > The Phantom phones have the microphone and camera removed and cannot be used > to surf the web, send emails or texts or make calls. The only thing they can > do is send messages using a private messaging system. > > That system is protected by military-grade encryption and cannot be hacked > even by Australia's electronic spy agency, the Australian Signals > Directorate, said a Government official who declined to be named. > > "Our intelligence would suggest that the most serious of crimes are being > facilitated by... encrypted communications," Paul Jevtovic, the acting head > of the Australian Crime Commission (ACC), said. > > "We're talking about acts of violence; we're talking about a range of serious > crime." > > Phantom phone use suspected in hits on Hells Angels bikies > > In particular, the ABC has learned that a well-known member of the Comanchero > Motorcycle Club is suspected of ordering at least two high-profile killings > in recent years using his encrypted Phantom Secure phone. > > Those murders were of Zoltan Slemnik, a newly minted Hells Angel member > gunned down during a drive-by in Sydney's south in July last year, and Roy > Yaghi, a Hells Angels associate and convicted drug cook who was shot dead in > 2012 while sitting in a ute in Sydney's west. > > NSW police are aware of a connection between the well-known Comancheros and > the two killings, but have been stymied in their investigations due to the > suspected use of the Phantom phone. > > The ACC has launched several investigations into the use of encrypted > communications and told the ABC the issue is a growing problem. > > It's estimated that that in the next two years the [global encryption] market > will double in size, which means there's a strong demand out there. > > Paul Jevtovic > "Organised crime [has] seen that encrypted communications can allow them to > plan and execute their criminal activities and prevents law enforcement > detection. So clearly that's of concern to us; it has been for some time," Mr > Jevtovic said. > > "It's estimated that that in the next two years the [global encryption] > market will double in size, which means there's a strong demand out there. > > "Now whilst that demand is from legitimate industry and citizens who are not > involved in crime, our concern is that organised crime will further avail > themselves of this technology." > > Two federal parliamentary committees recently recommended the Government > undertake wholesale reform to the legislation that regulates how police and > intelligence agencies can monitor people's phones, the 1978 > Telecommunications (Interceptions and Access) Act, in the hope of clawing > back some ground from criminals using the high-tech phones. > > "The rapid uptake of new communication technologies and encryption by > organised crime and terrorist groups is a significant concern and the > Attorney-General's Department is currently pursuing reforms to the > telecommunications interception legal framework," Justice Minister Michael > Keenan said. > > ASIO and the federal police declined to comment about the issue. The > Australian Signals Directorate told the ABC they were aware of Phantom Secure > but also turned down an interview. -- Kim Holburn IT Network & Security Consultant T: +61 2 61402408 M: +61 404072753 mailto:[email protected] aim://kimholburn skype://kholburn - PGP Public Key on request _______________________________________________ Link mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/link
