• Australia's spy chief reveals targeting of telecommunications and critical infrastructure by Chinese hackers.
• Espionage is estimated to have cost Australia A$12.5 billion in the last year.
• Chinese hacking groups Salt Typhoon and Volt Typhoon identified as threats to national security.
• Authoritarian regimes are increasingly willing to engage in cyber sabotage, warns Mike Burgess.

Mike Burgess, the director-general of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), has raised alarms regarding hackers linked to the Chinese government and military targeting Australia's telecommunications and critical infrastructure networks. Notably, he mentioned that these cyber attackers are not just engaging in espionage but are probing for opportunities to create "high-impact sabotage." He identified water, transport, energy, and telecommunications systems as areas of concern, warning of significant risks to national security, according to Reuters, BBC, and India Times.

During a keynote speech at a business conference in Melbourne, Burgess revealed that espionage has cost Australia an estimated A$12.5 billion ($8.1 billion) in the last year, which includes A$2 billion lost in trade secrets and intellectual property. He emphasized that these cyber threats are part of a broader context where authoritarian regimes are willing to "disrupt and destroy" rather than simply engage in espionage. This growing propensity for “cyber-enabled sabotage” raises concerns about potential sabotage affecting essential services, according to Reuters and BBC.

Burgess specifically mentioned two Chinese-linked hacking groups, Salt Typhoon and Volt Typhoon, asserting that they are involved in attempts to compromise Australian and U.S. critical infrastructure. He stressed that these groups operate under the direction of Chinese intelligence and military agencies, indicating that their operations extend beyond mere data theft to potential disruption of critical services. This capability presents a serious risk to the infrastructure that supports everyday life in Australia, according to India Times, Reuters, and BBC.

To mitigate these risks, Burgess has called upon Australian businesses to strengthen their cybersecurity defenses and prepare for potential disruptive scenarios. He noted that the landscape is changing, with espionage becoming more aggressive as hackers target not just networks but also sensitive data that could offer foreign entities a competitive edge. This evolving threat landscape underscores the urgency for improved cybersecurity measures across the nation, according to India Times and BBC.