The CEO of ASIO is sounding the alarm, calling on every local resident to cooperate with law enforcement.
In Australia, the threat of espionage and external interference is growing, reaching unprecedented proportions. Mike Burgess, Director General of the Australian Intelligence and Security Service (ASIO), warns about this. He expressed his concern that more and more Australians are being targeted by this type of threat.
Bergess stressed that the danger is real and much more extensive than it may seem at first glance. According to him, " there is a special team in a particular foreign intelligence service that gives priority to Australia." This group he called " A-team "(probably its code name).
According to Burgess, it was this group that in the past successfully recruited a former Australian politician who betrayed the interests of his country, party and colleagues, promoting the interests of a foreign regime.
Burgess also uncovered cases where leading Australian academics and politicians were invited to attend paid conferences abroad, which turned out to be just a cover for recruitment by foreign spies. In some cases, agents openly asked which participants had access to government documents.
Burgess expressed concern about the threat posed by cyberspace, pointing to the activity of a foreign state engaged in exploration of critical infrastructure in Australia, including water, transport and energy networks.
The Director General of Australian Intelligence called on both government employees and ordinary citizens to develop a culture of security, emphasizing the importance of cooperation between the country's population and law enforcement agencies to ensure national security.
Although the state from which the threat emanates was not directly named by Burgess, according to his description, it can be assumed that he is talking about China, and "A-team" refers to the Volt Typhoon hacker group, which has made a stir in recent months.
This group has been causing alarm at the highest level of Government over the past year. Burgess stressed that the primary goal of such actions is not espionage in itself — attackers are focused on obtaining undetectable access that can be used for sabotage in the future.
Burgess called on Australians to take security issues more seriously and report any suspicious contacts, stressing that countering this threat requires a joint effort by the entire nation.
In Australia, the threat of espionage and external interference is growing, reaching unprecedented proportions. Mike Burgess, Director General of the Australian Intelligence and Security Service (ASIO), warns about this. He expressed his concern that more and more Australians are being targeted by this type of threat.
Bergess stressed that the danger is real and much more extensive than it may seem at first glance. According to him, " there is a special team in a particular foreign intelligence service that gives priority to Australia." This group he called " A-team "(probably its code name).
According to Burgess, it was this group that in the past successfully recruited a former Australian politician who betrayed the interests of his country, party and colleagues, promoting the interests of a foreign regime.
Burgess also uncovered cases where leading Australian academics and politicians were invited to attend paid conferences abroad, which turned out to be just a cover for recruitment by foreign spies. In some cases, agents openly asked which participants had access to government documents.
Burgess expressed concern about the threat posed by cyberspace, pointing to the activity of a foreign state engaged in exploration of critical infrastructure in Australia, including water, transport and energy networks.
The Director General of Australian Intelligence called on both government employees and ordinary citizens to develop a culture of security, emphasizing the importance of cooperation between the country's population and law enforcement agencies to ensure national security.
Although the state from which the threat emanates was not directly named by Burgess, according to his description, it can be assumed that he is talking about China, and "A-team" refers to the Volt Typhoon hacker group, which has made a stir in recent months.
This group has been causing alarm at the highest level of Government over the past year. Burgess stressed that the primary goal of such actions is not espionage in itself — attackers are focused on obtaining undetectable access that can be used for sabotage in the future.
Burgess called on Australians to take security issues more seriously and report any suspicious contacts, stressing that countering this threat requires a joint effort by the entire nation.
