Source: www.infosecurity-magazine.com – Author:
Several countries are “relentlessly” seeking information about Australia’s military capabilities, including the country’s submarine partnership with the UK and the US, warned Mike Burgess, Director-General of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO).
The country’s head spy gave his Annual Threat Assessment for 2025 on February 19.
He highlighted that espionage and foreign interference are already at extreme levels in the country and anticipates they will only intensify.
“In a more complicated, competitive world, nation states will want greater insights into their enemies – and some of their friends – to better understand strategic intent and capability,” he said.
He also added that espionage and foreign interference will be enabled by advances in technology.
“Particularly AI and deeper online pools of personal data vulnerable to collection, exploitation and analysis by foreign intelligence services,” he said.
AUKUS, A Key Intelligence Target
One area of interest for foreign intelligence services is Australia’s defense ecosystem, Burgess continued.
“Our defense system will face greater threats from espionage, foreign interference and potentially sabotage over the next five years,” he said. “Defense personnel are being targeted in person and online. Some were recently given gifts by international counterparts. The presents contained concealed surveillance devices.”
Foreign spies are also interested in the defense capabilities developed as part of the trilateral security partnership between three of the Five Eye members, Australia, the UK and the US (AUKUS).
The first pillar of the partnership focuses on Australia acquiring nuclear-powered attack submarines and the rotational basing of US and UK nuclear-powered attack submarines in Australia.
“AUKUS will remain a priority target for intelligence collection, including by countries we consider friendly,” Burgess said.
ASIO has already identified foreign services seeking to target AUKUS to position themselves to collect on the capabilities and how Australia intends to use them, as well as to undermine the confidence of our allies.
“By 2030, as the submarine project matures, intelligence services are more likely to focus on foreign interference to undermine community support for the enterprise and potentially sabotage if regional tensions escalate,” Burgess anticipates.
Foreign Spies Actively Target Australia’s Critical Infrastructure
Additionally, Australia’s head spy said cyber-intelligence intrusion attempts targeted the broader Australian critical national infrastructure ecosystem.
“Cyber units from at least one nation state routinely try to explore and exploit Australia’s critical infrastructure networks, almost certainly mapping systems so they can lay down malware or maintain access in the future,” Burgess said.
Photo credit: Dans Destinations/Shutterstock
Read now: Russian Malware Campaign Hits Central Asian Diplomatic Files
Original Post URL: https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/spies-eye-aukus-nuclear-submarine/
Category & Tags: –
Views: 2
