How Intelligence agencies catch criminals | ABC News In-depth

Australia's Secret Cyber Warriors: The Garage Girls

The world of cyber warfare has become a battleground for nations, and Australia is no exception. In the face of increasing cyber threats, the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) has taken on the role of both spy and protector. Their approach is rooted in the belief that to catch a thief, one must become a thief. Operating in the shadows, the ASD has developed sophisticated cyber capabilities, often keeping their successes hidden from public view, working in the realm where the difficult meets the impossible.

The origins of Australia's cyber prowess can be traced back to a modest shed located in the backyard of a mansion in Brisbane. During World War II, a group of women, including Joyce Grace, Coral Hines, and Barracks, were handpicked to join an ultra-top secret military intelligence unit. These women worked tirelessly, round the clock, in eight-hour shifts, decoding Japanese radio signals and encrypted messages intended for Allied troops stationed north of Australia. Utilizing a Type X machine, they successfully intercepted, decrypted, and printed out crucial messages from the warfront.

Unbeknownst to the Japanese, their codes had been cracked by the Allies. The Type X machine became a formidable weapon of war, and the radio communications intercepted by signalman Sandy Hines, and decoded by the Central Bureau, revealed the movements of Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, the commander in chief of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Admiral Yamamoto was the mastermind behind the infamous 1941 Pearl Harbor attack, and his elimination became the objective of Operation Vengeance.

On August 6, 1945, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima, causing extensive devastation and resulting in an estimated 100,000 casualties. At the conclusion of the war, Coral Hines, Joyce Grace, and the other members of the Garage Girls were bound by a strict oath of secrecy for a period of 30 years.

The Bali bombings in 2002 brought Australia into the global war on terror, as 202 individuals lost their lives, including 88 Australians, in the explosions at Paddy's Bar and the Sari Club. In the aftermath of the attacks, General Diabactia, the head of the Indonesian national police, reached out to Mick Keelty, the Australian Federal Police Commissioner at the time, seeking assistance in the investigation. Recognizing the need for specialized support, the Australian Federal Police turned to the skies for a solution.

The investigation centered around finding a fragment of a Nokia 5110 mobile phone, which was used to detonate one of the bombs outside the U.S. consulate. The unique identifier of the phone held the potential to identify its owner or the person who made the fateful call. Obtaining the phone data from Indonesia's mobile provider, Telecom Cell, was critical. The magnitude of the Sari Club explosion had been recorded by seismic sensors, allowing the precise moment of detonation to be pinpointed. By overlaying the seismic data with telephone records, the Australian Federal Police were able to identify the number that triggered the other bombs.

However, Australian law enforcement agencies faced a daunting challenge in dealing with the vast amount of data involved. They turned to the Defense Signals Directorate, which had developed expertise in analyzing massive data sets. This signals intelligence organization possessed the ability to target individuals with precision. Leveraging their skills, the Defense Signals Directorate embarked on unraveling the mysteries behind the Bali bombings. The agency's methods drew heavily from its military heritage, which had been honed through engagements against communist forces in Korea, Vietnam, and the struggle for Timor-Leste's independence.

The success of the agency's work in Bali revealed the formidable power of their techniques in civilian life, coinciding with the advent of the digital revolution that placed technology at our

 fingertips. The collaboration between Australia and Indonesia during the Bali investigation marked a significant breakthrough, showcasing a level of trust and cooperation previously unseen. Through the triangulation of data, facilitated by the agency's expertise, Indonesian and Australian authorities were able to geolocate the suspects. The first arrest, that of Am Rosi, dubbed the smiling bomber, yielded vital information about his co-conspirators.

The agency's achievements in Bali demonstrated that their techniques had been refined over decades and were now poised to meet the challenges brought by the digital revolution. With their formidable capabilities, honed by years of experience, the ASD's techniques would prove themselves to have awe-inspiring power in civilian life, forever changing the landscape of cyber warfare.