Census 2016 - Travel Overseas and avoid?

[whatmeworry]

If anyone has their heads rolled from this affair, I'll be delighted to hear it. But, that would be a lucky bet.

No one is going to admit any responsibility whatsoever in this mess.

Of course, we have to have an inquiry on this. More money in the sinkhole. I wonder what the hostile Senators have to say about this whole shebang.

If Labor/Greens/Xenophon and others have the numbers, an inquiry will surely be coming in the senate. Because to get to the truth and not further embarrass the government.

 

[RooFlyer]

twitter.com/riskybusiness?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Patrick Gray's blog | Risky Business

Thanks serfty. Although having a twitter account doesn't say much for the chap (and tells me only that he has a decent ego).

 

[whatmeworry]

Indecensus Day

[video=vimeo;178750827]https://vimeo.com/178750827[/video]

 

[Moopere]

Sort of fair point, but what info are you giving in the census that you don't give in your tax return?

Indeed. so why are they asking again? Save a few bucks, draw on the ATO databases and don't bother me with trivia would be the go.

In fact, the 'pro' side of the debate hasn't got an argument when that argument is based around 'they have your info already' - yes, all the info is already out there - so _why_ is the ABS making such drastic changes to the way it collects data and _why_, given the current state of data collection on everyone nationally and globally, is it asking at all?

The 'why' argument has been had in pretty much every jurisdiction worldwide where a census is held and so far not even a hint of a reasonable argument... from anyone ... anywhere.

Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean people aren't out to get you

 

[TheRealTMA]

Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean people aren't out to get you

LOL. Yes it does by definition.

 

[Moopere]

Re: Census 2016

I'm not saying others are luddites - I'm the anti technology one! - but I am saying in my own bumptious way that most of the arguments presented here against the census just don't hold up. Again, there isn't any info, technology, question, or anything that hasn't occurred before, or the information is already with the government, hacked or unhacked.

Having a security based professional background, of those in my circle, its the ones with similar backgrounds who are the most likely to be offended by this specific ABS method of approach. For those who are either not computer/systems/security savvy or in general just have a fuzzy notion of how large modern agencies work, they are mostly fine with it all - believing that the government already knows their stuff so what the heck.

Its a fundamental difference in approach. The theory of compartmentalising information in order to assist in the reduction of leakage and cross linking. Essentially, it boils down to the cliche of 'needs to know' and is an important foundation stone of _everything_ security related.

The ATO gets information that they _need_to_know_, so do medicare and other agencies. The fact that the ABS needs to even ask (as my previous response queries) means that they currently _do_not_know_ and therefore the question, in a security realm, is _do_ they need to? The answer is clearly no, in most respects, therefore wouldn't pass a basic security analysis.

Another basic rule in understanding security is that once you give up information you lose control of it. Its such a basic concept really, but nevertheless true and needs to be thought about in all security related analysis. You hand over sensitive information to a clearly untrustworthy third party and have immediately lost of control of it (even if they were 'trustworthy', you've still lost control by the way). In cases like this think of the information being put into the public domain, if this is of no concern because the information has no inherent value, then, fine, really, its fine - no need to worry in your individual case. However, many folks would be extremely concerned if they left their census form, filled in, at a table in a Starbucks cafe (for example) ... in the public domain, for viewing and use by any and all (because they've lost control of it).

Is the ABS like a Starbucks? No it isn't. But this isn't how 'loss of control' is viewed in a security sense. Loss of control is simply that. Loss of control. You no longer get to control when and where and by whom that information is utilized.

 

[QF WP]

Re: Census 2016

Got an email yesterday (Sun 12.14am) from Census saying here's your password for the 2016 census. Why the hell do I need a password if I completed my census 5 days ago - I can't go back in and change my answers

24 mins later got a second one acknowledging receipt of my completed census form and giving me the receipt number (the same one I wrote down on Wednesday, after submitting)...

Oh dear...count backwards from 10 and just move on...:shock:

 

[Pushka]

Re: Census 2016

Email? Spam maybe. We've received nothing. Did we even give email addresses?

 

[Spongbob]

Re: Census 2016

Got an email yesterday (Sun 12.14am) from Census saying here's your password for the 2016 census. Why the hell do I need a password if I completed my census 5 days ago - I can't go back in and change my answers

24 mins later got a second one acknowledging receipt of my completed census form and giving me the receipt number (the same one I wrote down on Wednesday, after submitting)...

Oh dear...count backwards from 10 and just move on...:shock:

You might have selected the send my password in an email option (and not the print page or I have recored options)?

 

[froggerADL]

Re: Census 2016

I was going to say, how did they get your email address?

 

[DC3]

Re: Census 2016

I was going to say, how did they get your email address?

... because these Government agencies already have your information? Isn't that the theory?

 

[froggerADL]

Re: Census 2016

... because these Government agencies already have your information? Isn't that the theory?

Absolutely not. ABS would not be able to get your contact details from another agency. I do note the smiley.

 

[froggerADL]

Re: Census 2016

I just read this. I'm shocked. Some very high up people must have been talking.

Code Red: How the Bureau of Statistics bungled the 2016 census

 

[Pushka]

Re: Census 2016

A very interesting read there. Glad that privacy issues were recognised at a high level within the ABS and their punitive approach commented on and potentially led to the website failure.

 

[whatmeworry]

Re: Census 2016

A guy has put in a FOI request with the ABS to find out when on census night, the ABS knew they had a problem. They want to charge him $1020

[h=2]That’s why I put in a FOI request.[/h]I put in a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) asking for information about the ABS Twitter response on that fateful evening. I want to see when they knew there was a problem, and how they decided to deal with it. My request asked for:
"Copies of all emails, memos or other written documents sent to and from the Census Communications team on census day (Tue 9 August), specifically relating to the @ABSCensus Twitter feed and tweets by that account."

A simple request, huh? That’s what I thought too.

$1020? That sounds like a lot!
The way they have worked this out is to say it will take them a total of 20 hours just to find this information (which I would have thought is pretty much just a search of inboxes using the word ‘Twitter’), then another 41 hours (yes 41!) to sit in a room and decide what they should do with it.

https://chuffed.org/project/censusfail#

 

[Steady]

Re: Census 2016

Today's the last day to complete the census before attracting fines

 

[RooFlyer]

Re: Census 2016

A guy has put in a FOI request with the ABS to find out when on census night, the ABS knew they had a problem. They want to charge him $1020

Good thing too; I hope that is full cost recovery. If he got the information, what exactly was he proposing to do with it, I wonder? Its not as if the public were obliged to do anything that night.

 

[Quickstatus]

Re: Census 2016

Today's the last day to complete the census before attracting fines

Yes its the last day but the fines don't start until after several attempts by the Bureau directing you to complete the census and then they have to take you to court. Only a court can impose a fine.

There is leeway to drag it out a bit longer:shock:

 

[serfty]

Re: Census 2016

Seems there are reports the ABS is extending the deadline by a week or two.

The website was due to be switched off.

 

[petercr]

Re: Census 2016

Until tomorrow according to various news sources quoting whoever it is in charge of the ABS...