Espionage and foreign interference are at extreme levels and – through technology – will only intensify, Australia’s top security chief has warned.
Delivering ASIO’s annual assessment threat this week, director-general of security Mike Burgess told the assembly of government officials, security and intelligence personnel, policymakers, academics, and other stakeholders that espionage and foreign interference will be enabled by advances in technology – particularly artificial intelligence.
“AI will enable disinformation and deep fakes that can promote false narratives, undermine factual information and erode trust in institutions,” said Burgess.
Australia’s defence system is particularly at risk, the audience was told and “will face greater threats from espionage, foreign interference and potentially sabotage over the next five years.”
Multiple countries are relentlessly seeking information about Australia’s military capabilities, said Burgess. “Defence personnel are being targeted in person and online.” Some were recently given gifts by international counterparts, he added. “The presents contained concealed surveillance devices.”
Cyber-sabotage will also pose an increasing threat in the coming years as bad actors “become more determined to, and more capable of, pre-positioning cyber access vectors they can exploit in the future,” said Burgess.
“We are getting closer to the threshold for high-impact sabotage,” he warned. ASIO assesses foreign regimes are growing more willing “to disrupt or destroy critical infrastructure,” said Burgess.
Cyber units from at least one nation state routinely try to explore and exploit Australia’s critical infrastructure networks, he told the audience at the Ben Chifley Building in Canberra on Wednesday. They are “almost certainly mapping systems so they can lay down malware or maintain access in the future,” he said.
Turning to the upcoming federal election, Burgess said ASIO is acutely aware that it will be held in a security environment “characterised by eroded trust in institutions, mis- and disinformation, incidents of politically motivated violence and attempts at foreign interference.”
“Ensuring our elections remain free, fair and peaceful is business as usual for ASIO,” he added, telling the audience the security agency had already established specialist teams and operations to work with the Electoral Commission and other partners “to protect the integrity of the poll.”
If a foreign regime tries to meddle in the election by spreading disinformation on social media or using any other tactics, “ASIO will know,” said Burgess. “And we will act.”
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