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27 May 2004

1. Editorial
2. Brief news from Engineers Australia
3. Brief news from around the country
4. Need for a regional network to advance technical security knowledge
5. Engineers Australia's assessment of the 2004-05 Commonwealth Budget
6. New publication: Lessons learned from September 11
7. Transport security communique
8. From Defence to Homeland Security: A company profile

1 Editorial
The Engineers Australia supported 2004 Homeland Security Conference is proceeding extremely well. The Attorney-General Philip Ruddock, Attorney-General and Robert McClelland, Shadow Minister for Homeland Security have both accepted to deliver keynote addresses.

2 Brief news from Engineers Australia

1. Bruce Howard, Security Commissioner, spoke today on Australia's security approach at the ASEAN - Australian Engineering Congress 2004 in Malaysia. See below for details.
2. Engineers Australia Council has approved the writing of the 2004 Domestic Security Reportcard. The Reportcard will be similar in concept to our well regarded infrastructure reportcards. However unlike these Reportcards, we will not be rating individual infrastructures or individual governments. Instead it will rate our approach on a whole of nation basis, in a similar way as the State of the Environment Report does. The first significant publication from the project will be a working paper on metrics of domestic security.
3. Engineers Australia in conjuction with Energy and Telecommunications Training Australia ran a highly successful working called Counter-terrorism - Hazard identification, risk assessment & reduction in Melbourne: 17 & 18 May. For information, Geoff Griffiths, tel 03 9251 3020.
4. Engineers Australia was mentioned in the following mainstream media:
   • Aus terror: car bomb 'most likely', The Australian, May 13, 2004. Read here>>
   • Jail abuse a blow for cause: PM, The West Australian, May 15, 2004. Read here>>
   • Secret bio-terror defence plan, The Australian, May 01, 2004. Read here>>
   • Woomera blast, Channel Ten News, 6 May 2004.

3 Brief news from around the country

1. The proposed CRC for Security Risk and Data Intelligence has passed the first hurdle to becoming a CRC in 2005/06. The group is now preparing a Stage 2 bid. Information from Dr. H. W. Peter Beadle , 0417-416-231.
2. The organisers of the NSW Infrastructure Interdependency Exercise - Exercise Twilight, on 23 March 2004 has distributed an excellent summary of key learnings. Information: Brendan Beckett, brendan.beckett@oes.nsw.gov.au
3. In the Australian Strategic Policy Institute's recent strategic assessment, it stated that " A sensible next step would be for the Prime Minister to sponsor the development of a national security policy statement to clarify and strengthen key lines of policy across all government departments". Information on Beyond Baghdad: ASPI's Strategic Assessment 2004.
4. Edith Cowan University (ECU) has appointed Professor Nara Srinivasan as Professor of Security and Risk. Professor Srinivasan is also the inaugural Director and Dean of Transguard (Emirates) Education Academy, a wholly owned company of Emirates Airlines. His role will be to lead ECU’s security science team in its international provision of security science education and research. Contact n.srinivasan@ecu.edu.au.
5. The members of the proposed Research Network for a Secure Australia organised a closed workshop on counter-terrorism research needs on 17 May in Melbourne. The purpose of the workshop was to allow researchers in Counter-Terrorism (CT) to meet, discuss and exchange information in closed session in order to help individual research ideas/ current work. Information: Chris Flaherty, Workshop Coordinator email: flaherty@civenv.unimelb.edu.au.
6. The organisation Survive is exploring developing a workshop called, 'Auditing Business Continuity Plans'. The workshop could be held in September 2004, depending on the interest level received. If you are interested, contact member@survive.com.au.
7. ASIO has released a comprehensive assessment of the threat to Australia's shipping and port infrastructure from terrorism. The assessment has gone to appropriate Australian and state/territory government agencies. Officials from ASIO and the Australian Government Office of Transport Security will brief key industry stakeholders as well as state and territory government transport officials over the next few weeks. "ASIO has concluded that the threat to many aspects of Australia's shipping and port facilities is low or very low, although there are some areas that have been assessed as a medium threat", said Attorney-General, Philip Ruddock. Media release.
8. Mark Bezzina, former head of the National Security Standards Centre at Standards Australia has left Standards Australia. He has set up his own business, StanCert Pty Ltd, www.stancert.com, bezzina@stancert.com.

4 Need for a regional network to advance technical security knowledge

In Malaysia today, Engineers Australia called for the formation of an Asia-Pacific network of engineering organisations as a way to rapidly disseminate technical security advances throughout the region.

The call was made in a paper at the high-profile ASEAN - Australian Engineering Congress 2004 in Sabah, Malaysia, attended by Bruce Howard, Security Commissioner, Engineers Australia.

The paper was jointly written by Bruce Howard, Security Commissioner, Engineers Australia, and Athol Yates, Associate Director Public Policy, Engineers Australia.

The main aims of the network would be to:

• facilitate continual professional development in security,
• share security best practice among practitioners, and
• disseminate security policy activities among regional association leaders.

"To ensure that security does not degrade over time, it is essential that security gets engineered in, rather than tack on after the project is completed", said Athol Yates, Associate Director Public Policy, Engineers Australia. "If engineered enhancements are planned at the beginning of a new project, their cost can be minimised." Examples of areas where engineering in security is essential are high-risk buildings that need to be resilient to blasts, rapid speed X-ray scanning of containers and biometrics at border control.

The network could be established quickly and cost-effectively by creating a committee of champions within each engineering association in the region. While governments would have a role in the network, they would not dominate it as the professions need to control the network to ensure that it meets the individual needs of each country and it can rapidly change direction depending on the security concerns.

"Enhancing the region's security capabilities adds another layer of defence to Australia's homeland security", he said.

Engineers Australia, with its significant commitment to enhancing security in Australia, would be willing to play a major role in such a network.

The full text of the speech is available from here.

5 Engineers Australia's assessment of the 2004-05 Commonwealth Budget

"The 2004-05 Commonwealth budget has addressed the most security needs for Australia following the 11 September 2001 and 2002 Bali attacks, and we congratulate the government for its initiatives", said Bruce Howard, Security Commissioner, Engineers Australia.

Areas which are strongly welcomed by Engineers Australia are:

• The focus on enhancing intelligence and law enforcement. Improving intelligence is the best weapon in the fight against terrorism and the increases to the intelligence agencies will enhance Australia's ability to prevent incidents.
• The additional funding to the core policy area of the Critical Infrastructure Protection within the Attorney General's Department. This area has initiated many significant activities, notably the formation of the Trusted Information Sharing Network, but has been constrained by its limited budget and staffing levels.
• The direct funding of research support in counter-terrorism technology. This funding is essential to identifying government's counter-terrorism technology needs as well as in harnessing the public and private sectors technological capabilities to counter terrorism.
• Increased funding for security enhancement at regional airports. This funding recognises that it has been difficult for regional airports to improve their security due to their cost structure.

For a complete Budget overview, see the Budget edition of this e-newsletter.

6 New publication: Lessons learned from September 11
Emergency Management Australia has released a report called Mapping the way forward for large-scale urban disaster management in Australia: Building on the lessons from September 11, 2001. The report highlighted issues identified in a series of 'Lessons Learnt' workshops organised in 2003. Key lessons identified in the report include:

• The importance of interoperability of equipment, communications, systems and training;
• The need to continually enhance sharing of information between agencies and with the community, and the creation of a national emergency management knowledge database;
• The growing significance of technology, especially geo-spatial facilities, and the further development of cooperation with the business community; and
• Continued and increasing support and direction for Australia's rich tradition of volunteering, and more community education.

The report is available here.

7 Transport security communique
A meeting of Australian Transport Council, made up of transport ministers from around the country, have agreed to a National Transport Security Strategy.

A key part of which was State and Territory government commitment to finalise the implementation of 10 key passenger transport security priorities. These priorities include measures that will:

• strengthen and enhance security assessment and planning,
• raise the security expertise of transport operators and
• streamline communications strategies and processes that are key to effective transport security.

The meeting was held on 30 April 2004 when the below communique was released. Only the security elements are listed below. The full text is available from here.

JOINT COMMUNIQUE
30 April 2004, Perth

Australian, State and Territory Transport ministers met in Perth on Friday 30 April to consider a range of important transport issues, in particular, transport security.

TRANSPORT SECURITY

Ministers considered Australia's transport security arrangements and focussed on areas where all Governments must work together to progress transport security initiatives across all transport modes.
Ministers were briefed by the ASIO Director General Dennis Richardson on the current security environment and the threat to our transport systems. The Council was also briefed on the outcomes of the high level mission on international transport security led by the Secretary of the Department of Transport and Regional Services. The mission, consisting of Australian and State Government representatives, visited a number of countries and reported on best practice in transport security including current international thinking on regulation, planning and operational practices to maximise transport security.
The Mission made nineteen specific recommendations, including three broad recommendations for land transport:

• establish a consistent national approach to transport security for land transport based on risk assessments, security programs and business continuity programs;
• establish an Inter-governmental Agreement to strengthen transport security across jurisdictions; and
• develop and implement a National Dangerous Goods Security Programme.

The Council again confirmed the importance of cooperation between all Australian governments on transport security matters. Ministers agreed to an approach to expedite action on these recommendations.

The threat of terrorist attacks on Australia's transport system is real and will continue. Governments around the world are now focussing on precaution and mitigation measures for passenger land transport.

Effective security will require:

• engaging staff and the travelling public to be alert to the risks;
• improving communications of threat and risk information; and
• nationally consistent preventative action throughout the transport sector.

Ministers agreed to support the findings and recommendations of the high level mission and that they would seek to have their approach to transport security formally considered by the National Counter Terrorism Committee.
Ministers acknowledged the importance of nationally consistent awareness-raising activity to encourage the public to report suspicious behaviour on mass urban transport.

A National Transport Security Strategy (NTSS) was also agreed which forms the basis for an approach by the Australian Government and the State and Territory Governments to address transport security.

To enhance Australia's land transport security system, the NTSS includes 10 key passenger transport security priorities. The plan provides that jurisdictions who have not already done so, work towards:

• conducting risk context workshops in their jurisdiction for key public transport operators;
• establishing a whole of government transport security policy committee;
• reviewing the adequacy of legislation dealing with transport security and implementing any changes where necessary;
• strengthening the capability of private transport operators to implement risk based security planning;
• undertaking security assessment and planning at the state level and for key transport systems and assets;
• reviewing and enhancing, if necessary, mechanisms for reporting and analysing incidents;
• putting internal communication strategies in place to improve processes and procedures for reporting incidents and suspicious activity;
• developing and implementing a National Dangerous Goods Security programme;
• establishing arrangements through SCOT Transport Security Working Group for responding to transport security intelligence; and
• increasing participation in counter-terrorism exercises by state governments and private transport operators.

Ministers noted progress to date by States and Territories against these priorities.
Ministers also noted progress in implementation of the enhanced aviation and maritime transport security regimes.

8 From Defence to Homeland Security: A company profile by Athol Yates

The Canberra-based electronic warfare specialist, NR, has deliberately had a very low profile due to its work for the Department of Defence. This looks set to change as it enters the homeland security market with their first significant sale to the Commonwealth Parliament House.

The system uses geophones buried under the turf. It detects the vibrations of footsteps while ignoring the pecking of birds and temperature induced movements.

The security installation is based on NR's twenty-nine years of work for Defence in the areas of sensors, signal processing and remote intelligence gathering. This work is typified in its Rapid Deployment System which is to be submitted for endorsement. This system is carried in a box and is deployed by placing a range of sensors around a target requiring protection, such as an airfield in a hostile zone. When someone enters the zone, an alarm is triggered and the system can classify and position of the intrusion.

The system uses a combination of acoustic, seismic electro-magnetic sensors and cameras with information being radioed back to the system controller. "While this system was designed for the military, it is equally applicable for the covert monitoring of critical infrastructure including unmanned pumping stations and sub-stations", said Ian Nicholls, Managing Director.

NR is adapting its technology to also combat cattle rustling which is still a common crime in the bush. "Rustlers back their truck up to a property owner's cattle marshalling yard and use this to load their truck", said Ian. "So we have considerable interest from owners to put covert sensors on their yards, particularly for those weekend farmers who can use the Internet to monitor their property during the week.

This option is just one that can be integrated into its soon to be released product called FarmBus. This is a PC controlled, wireless network which will give the farm owner complete monitoring and control of their remote systems such as weather stations, water tanks, electric fences and gates.

"Our skills are in systems integration, data collection and signal analysis, and we are finding that these are the skills required to meet the new homeland security requirements", said Ian. "Increasingly organisations will be turning to low-cost technology for remote intelligence and surveillance to provide them with ability to detect, deter or delay a malicious attack."

Information: Ian Nicholls, Managing Director, Niian@nronline.com