Latest news with #AustralianSecurityIntelligenceOrganisation
Perth Now
13 hours ago
- Business
- Perth Now
‘Fast enough?': Ex-spy chief's key question
The 'real issue' with Australia's defence spending is not if the Albanese government is splashing more cash but whether it is 'enough' and flowing 'fast enough', an ex-spy chief says. Duncan Lewis headed the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) from 2014 to 2019. Since departing the country's domestic spy service, he has become chair of the European Australian Business Council and the Australian arm of weapons maker Thales. Mr Lewis said on Monday there was no doubt Labor had increased the defence budget since coming to power. Ex-ASIO chief Duncan Lewis says the 'real issue' with Australia's defence spending is if Labor is spending 'enough' and 'fast enough'. Kym Smith Credit: News Corp Australia 'The government has increased defence expenditure and spending over the last couple of years, and the projections going forward continue that increase,' he told the ABC. 'The real issue is whether it is enough and whether it is fast enough.' Mr Lewis noted that the defence budget was sitting about 2 per cent of GDP or $59bn. Under Labor's spending commitments, that would increase to about 2.35 per cent of GDP by 2034 – the same year the Albanese government has warned a major conflict could break out. At roughly $100bn in the space of a decade, Mr Lewis said 2.35 per cent was 'a sizeable increase'. 'But the question is, is it enough to have the kind of defence force that we might require in the future?' he said. Anthony Albanese is facing domestic and international calls to boost the defence budget, with the US warning of a potentially 'imminent' threat from China in the Indo Pacific. But the Prime Minister has resisted, making Australia an outlier in the West – a position highlighted by NATO's decision last week to dramatically hike military spending to 5 per cent of GDP. The Trump administration has asked Australia to lift spending to 3.5 per cent. Both Labor and the opposition have pushed back on that target, with the Coalition proposing 3 per cent instead. The Albanese government is aiming to spend 2.35 per cent of GDP on defence by 2034. Jeremy Piper / NewsWire Credit: News Corp Australia Asked point blank if 2.35 per cent of GDP was enough, Mr Lewis said he thought Australia would need to front up more. 'I'm of the view that if we are going to run a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines, together with an effective defence force that's capable of doing the kind of things that we expect might be required in the future, there will have to be an increase in due course,' he said. 'But look, I'm cognisant of the fact that there are competing challenges for the public purse, and it's up to the government to get their balance right. 'But I think there is a sense of urgency in this matter, which is not universally being exhibited, and I think that needs to be something that we should pay more attention to.' Mr Lewis also said defence companies were not getting the 'certainty' needed to do business in Australia. 'There is a concern that we are unable to get into long-term, reliable partnerships with government,' he said. 'The defence industry in Australia requires long term, regular contractual arrangements if we are to develop sovereign defence capability, and that is a stated objective of the government. 'You can't have just episodic buys and expect defence companies to continue operating in Australia.'
Euronews
19-02-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Australia's spy agency foils three plots to harm individuals on its soil
Australia's spy agency has uncovered three separate foreign plots to physically harm individuals living in the country, Director-General of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) Mike Burgess revealed on Wednesday. In his annual address outlining national security threats, Burgess did not disclose the countries involved. However, he did state that an unnamed regime had planned to harm or assassinate one or more individuals in Australia as part of a broader global effort to silence its critics. Burgess also detailed how ASIO intervened in another case to prevent a human rights advocate from travelling to a third country, where they would have been harmed or killed. ASIO, in collaboration with international security partners, disrupted the scheme at an early stage. Burgess did not elaborate on the nature of the third foreign plot. 'In a small number of cases, we held grave fears for the life of the person being targeted,' Burgess stated during his speech at ASIO headquarters in Canberra. Cyber attacks also a threat Additionally, ASIO identified a cyber unit linked to a foreign government attempting to infiltrate critical infrastructure networks in the US. The same group had made similar incursions in Australia, seeking to map and compromise systems for potential future cyberattacks. 'ASIO worked closely with our American counterpart to evict the hackers and shut down their global accesses, including nodes here in Australia,' Burgess said. Burgess warned that foreign intelligence services are increasingly targeting Australia's AUKUS security partnership with the United States and the United Kingdom, particularly efforts to develop a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines. 'ASIO has identified foreign services seeking to target AUKUS to position themselves to collect on the capabilities, how Australia intends to use them, and to undermine the confidence of our allies,' he said.
The Independent
19-02-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Australian spy boss says 3 foreign governments plotted to harm people in Australia
An Australian spy agency had discovered three foreign governments plotting to physically harm people living in Australia, a security boss said on Wednesday. Mike Burgess, Director General of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, the nation's main domestic spy agency known as ASIO, did not name the countries in his latest annual address outlining threats to the country. One government attempted to trick a human rights advocate into traveling from Australia to a third country where plotters planned to injure or kill their target. ASIO intervened to prevent the travel. 'In a small number of cases, we held grave fears for the life of the person being targeted,' Burgess said in a speech at ASIO headquarters in the national capital Canberra. Another government planned to harm or kill one or more people in Australia as part of a broader plot to eliminate critics around the world. Working with international security agencies, ASIO disrupted the operation at an early stage. In both cases, the plotters were offshore and beyond the reach of Australian law. Burgess didn't detail the third country's plot. Collaboration between ASIO and the US In a wide-ranging speech, Burgess revealed ASIO had alerted U.S. authorities to a 12-year-old boy plotting mass shootings in the United States. ASIO online operators found a self-professed neo-Nazi on a popular social networking site. The boy talked about live streaming a school shooting and then moving on to a church, synagogue or mosque. The Australian spy agency also discovered a cyber unit from an unnamed foreign government that targeted critical infrastructure networks in the U.S. The same unit routinely tried to explore and exploit Australia's networks, mapping systems to lay down malware or maintain access in the future. 'ASIO worked closely with our American counterpart to evict the hackers and shut down their global accesses, including nodes here in Australia,' Burgess said. Spies target Australia's AUKUS partnership with the US and UK Foreign spy agencies targeted Australia's AUKUS partnership with the U.S. and Britain that will deliver an Australian fleet of submarines powered by U.S. nuclear technology. AUKUS is an acronym for Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In addition to the submarine deal, AUKUS Pillar II involves cooperation on a wider range of security technologies including artificial intelligence, electronic warfare and hypersonic systems. 'ASIO has identified foreign services seeking to target AUKUS to position themselves to collect on the capabilities, how Australia intends to use them, and to undermine the confidence of our allies," Burgess said. 'AUKUS will remain a priority target for intelligence collection, including by countries we consider friendly,' he said, without naming those countries.
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Australian spy boss says 3 foreign governments plotted to harm people in Australia
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — An Australian spy agency had discovered three foreign governments plotting to physically harm people living in Australia, a security boss said on Wednesday. Mike Burgess, secretary-general of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, the nation's main domestic spy agency known as ASIO, did not name the countries in his latest annual address outlining threats to the country. One government attempted to trick a human rights advocate into traveling from Australia to a third country where plotters planned to injure or kill their target. ASIO intervened to prevent the travel. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. 'In a small number of cases, we held grave fears for the life of the person being targeted,' Burgess said in a speech at ASIO headquarters in the national capital Canberra. Another government planned to harm or kill one or more people in Australia as part of a broader plot to eliminate critics around the world. Working with international security agencies, ASIO disrupted the operation at an early stage. In both cases, the plotters were offshore and beyond the reach of Australian law. Burgess didn't detail the third country's plot. Collaboration between ASIO and the US In a wide-ranging speech, Burgess revealed ASIO had alerted U.S. authorities to a 12-year-old boy plotting mass shootings in the United States. ASIO online operators found a self-professed neo-Nazi on a popular social networking site. The boy talked about live streaming a school shooting and then moving on to a church, synagogue or mosque. The Australian spy agency also discovered a cyber unit from an unnamed foreign government that targeted critical infrastructure networks in the U.S. The same unit routinely tried to explore and exploit Australia's networks, mapping systems to lay down malware or maintain access in the future. 'ASIO worked closely with our American counterpart to evict the hackers and shut down their global accesses, including nodes here in Australia,' Burgess said. Spies target Australia's AUKUS partnership with the US and UK Foreign spy agencies targeted Australia's AUKUS partnership with the U.S. and Britain that will deliver an Australian fleet of submarines powered by U.S. nuclear technology. AUKUS is an acronym for Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In addition to the submarine deal, AUKUS Pillar II involves cooperation on a wider range of security technologies including artificial intelligence, electronic warfare and hypersonic systems. 'ASIO has identified foreign services seeking to target AUKUS to position themselves to collect on the capabilities, how Australia intends to use them, and to undermine the confidence of our allies," Burgess said. 'AUKUS will remain a priority target for intelligence collection, including by countries we consider friendly,' he said, without naming those countries.
Washington Post
19-02-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Australian spy boss says 3 foreign governments plotted to harm people in Australia
MELBOURNE, Australia — An Australian spy agency had discovered three foreign governments plotting to physically harm people living in Australia, a security boss said on Wednesday. Mike Burgess, secretary-general of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, the nation's main domestic spy agency known as ASIO, did not name the countries in his latest annual address outlining threats to the country. One government attempted to trick a human rights advocate into traveling from Australia to a third country where plotters planned to injure or kill their target. ASIO intervened to prevent the travel. 'In a small number of cases, we held grave fears for the life of the person being targeted,' Burgess said in a speech at ASIO headquarters in the national capital Canberra. Another government planned to harm or kill one or more people in Australia as part of a broader plot to eliminate critics around the world. Working with international security agencies, ASIO disrupted the operation at an early stage. In both cases, the plotters were offshore and beyond the reach of Australian law. Burgess didn't detail the third country's plot. In a wide-ranging speech, Burgess revealed ASIO had alerted U.S. authorities to a 12-year-old boy plotting mass shootings in the United States. ASIO online operators found a self-professed neo-Nazi on a popular social networking site. The boy talked about live streaming a school shooting and then moving on to a church, synagogue or mosque. The Australian spy agency also discovered a cyber unit from an unnamed foreign government that targeted critical infrastructure networks in the U.S. The same unit routinely tried to explore and exploit Australia's networks, mapping systems to lay down malware or maintain access in the future. 'ASIO worked closely with our American counterpart to evict the hackers and shut down their global accesses, including nodes here in Australia,' Burgess said. Foreign spy agencies targeted Australia's AUKUS partnership with the U.S. and Britain that will deliver an Australian fleet of submarines powered by U.S. nuclear technology. AUKUS is an acronym for Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In addition to the submarine deal, AUKUS Pillar II involves cooperation on a wider range of security technologies including artificial intelligence, electronic warfare and hypersonic systems. 'ASIO has identified foreign services seeking to target AUKUS to position themselves to collect on the capabilities, how Australia intends to use them, and to undermine the confidence of our allies,' Burgess said. 'AUKUS will remain a priority target for intelligence collection, including by countries we consider friendly,' he said, without naming those countries.
