Australia's top spy chief has revealed that an unnamed foreign state made multiple attempts to disrupt the country's water, transport, and energy networks. Speaking at the ASIC annual forum, ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess said authoritarian regimes are increasingly willing to sabotage critical infrastructure to impede decision-making, damage the economy, and undermine war-fighting capability.
Burgess identified China and Russia as the main perpetrators of cyber hacking and espionage, noting that even 'friendlier' countries engage in spying for strategic advantage. He warned that the threat of foreign cyber sabotage is expected to increase significantly between now and the early 2030s.
ASIO revealed in July that defence industry companies have been targeted by multiple foreign espionage attempts within the last year, costing Australia's economy at least $12.5 billion in 2024. The agency said foreign intelligence services have taken an 'unhealthy' interest in Australia's role in the AUKUS nuclear submarine pact with the US and UK, with 24 major espionage and foreign interference attempts in the past three years.
In one case, a state-sponsored group nearly drove an Australian innovation company to bankruptcy after stealing blueprints to mass-produce cheap knock-offs of its products. In another, an overseas country infiltrated the database of a major local exporter to gain an edge in contract negotiations.
Head of the Australian Signals Directorate, Abigail Bradshaw, told a Senate estimates hearing last month that Australia is a 'prime target' for cyber infiltration and espionage, noting a record number of attributions relating to state-based activities involving China and Russia.
