Australia’s top intelligence official has accused Chinese state-backed hackers for targeting the nation’s telecommunications and critical infrastructure networks, raising alarms about the potential for cyber sabotage and economic disruption.As reported by Reuters, speaking at a business conference in Melbourne, Mike Burgess, director-general of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) has revealed that the hackers linked to the Chinese government and military have been probing the Australia’s digital backbone. Burgess also revealed that the Chinese hackers are trying to infiltrate water, energy, transport and telecom systems of the country.Burgess said that all these means are part of a broader ‘cyber-enabled sabotage’.“One nation state — no prizes for guessing which one — is conducting multiple attempts to scan and penetrate our critical infrastructure,” Burgess said, without naming China directly but leaving little ambiguity.
Economic impact and espionage costs
Burgess estimated that espionage cost Australia A$12.5 billion ($8.1 billion) last year, including A$2 billion in lost trade secrets and intellectual property.He warned that authoritarian regimes are increasingly willing to “disrupt and destroy” rather than merely spy.
Chinese hacking group identified
The report further adds that the Australia organisation has identified two Chinese-linked cyber groups called Salt Typhoon and Volt Typhoo involved in this exercise. These groups have also implicated similar kind of attacks on the US infrastructure and are said to operate under the direction of Chinese intelligence and military agencies.Burgess has urged the Australian businesses to strengthen cybersecurity defenses, protect sensitive data, and prepare for potential sabotage scenarios.
