From Slashdot (http://slashdot.org/articles/99/11/26/1051236.shtml), a discussion of new "security" legislation passed in Australia which, among other things, "...passed major legislation that enables the Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), similar to the CIA, to remotely tap into and alter data on any Australian's computer."

Here's (part of) the Bills Digest No. 172 199899

Purpose

"The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Legislation Amendment Bill 1999 ('the Bill') has several purposes:

* to amend existing warrant provisions for a number of purposes including:

* to re-word the basis for grant of search warrants

* to lengthen their maximum duration

* to expand the range of warrants which the Director-General of the Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation ('ASIO') may grant on an emergency basis without prior Ministerial approval, and to clearly authorise concealment of the fact that anything has been done under the warrant.

* to extend ASIO's function of collecting foreign intelligence within Australia beyond means authorised by warrant (eg by the use of a human agent)

* to provide new Special Powers such as a capacity under warrant to use tracking devices to track people and objects and also a capacity under warrant to 'hack' into computers and gain access to computer information with an accompanying power to add, delete or alter data in the target computer

* to provide for direct communication of security assessments to State agencies until 31 December 2000 in relation to year 2000 Olympics security issues

* to provide for access by ASIO to AUSTRAC information about significant and suspect financial transfers

* to provide for access by ASIO to tax information, with a limited capacity to pass it on to third parties, and to make other relatively minor amendments to the ASIO Act and the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security Act 1986.

"The Government has said that the Bill will not extend ASIO's functions but is designed to enable ASIO to meet its statutory responsibilities in a more effective way, given changes in its operational environment including technological developments. The Government has also stressed that the Bill is not a response to the particular security challenges of staging the Year 2000 Olympics in Sydney."

Because search sessions are set to time out, here's the steps to getting more/complete information:

1.Go to the Search page (http://search.aph.gov.au/search/ParlInfo.asp)

2.Click on Browse

3.Click on Legislation

4.Click on Current Bills by Title

5.Click on Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Legislation Amendment Bill

6.This should get you to the right folder with the relevent links to the actual documents.