ASIO Chief Reveals Ongoing Foreign Espionage Activities

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But he said Australians would be “genuinely shocked” by the number of nations looking to obtain strategic intelligence, warning foreign spy agencies were also “aggressively targeting” areas like science, public sector projects and investments, green technology, critical minerals and Antarctic research, as well as taking a “very unhealthy interest in AUKUS”.

“The obvious candidates are very active — I’ve previously named China, Russia and Iran — but many other countries are also targeting anyone and anything that could give them a strategic or tactical advantage, including sensitive but unclassified information,” Burgess said.

“Foreign intelligence services can obtain this material in person — convincing, coercing or seducing insiders to impart sensitive information — and through technology.”

Burgess says referencing employment on AUKUS ‘reckless’

In one case, an agent from a foreign intelligence agency tried to take a job at an Australian media organisation “with the aim of shaping its reporting and receiving early warning of critical stories”.

Burgess also said covert operatives successfully convinced a public servant to provide names and addresses of people viewed as “dissidents” by a foreign power, while an academic with links to a foreign government broke into a restricted laboratory to film its contents.

A man standing in front of a blue curtain.

Mike Burgess said many countries are “targeting anyone and anything that could give them a strategic or tactical advantage.” Source: AAP / Dominic Giannini

“They are just the tip of an espionage iceberg,” he said.

The ASIO director-general warned that at least 35,000 people were advertising their access to sensitive information on just one social media site, exposing them to spies posing as head-hunters and recruiters.

He expressed incredulity at 400 people who explicitly referenced their employment on projects related to AUKUS.

“I get that people need to market themselves, but telling social media you hold a security clearance or work on a highly classified project is more than naive; it’s recklessly inviting the attention of a foreign intelligence service,” he warned.

The impact of espionage to the Australian economy was $12.5 billion in the 2024 financial year, according to a report released by ASIO and the Australian Institute of Criminology.

The tally includes an estimated $2 billion worth of confidential trade secrets stolen from Australian businesses.

One example detailed by Burgess involved the smuggling of plant matter from a rare and valuable fruit tree species, obtained by a member of a foreign delegation at a “sensitive” facility.

In another case, company secrets were obtained at a defence industry event through malware on an infected USB.

Burgess highlighted a recent incident where “an expensive and highly sophisticated military capability” was developed in Australia, “only for another country to unveil a prototype with unmistakable similarities shortly afterwards”.

“While I cannot categorically say espionage was involved, spy chiefs do not believe in coincidences,” he said.

Burgess estimated ASIO’s successful operations had prevented further significant economic damage.

“I’m still not sure we, as a nation, truly understand the damage espionage inflicts on our security, democracy, sovereignty, economy and social fabric,” he warned, urging Australians to remain vigilant and act if concerned but also not to “overreact”.

“Don’t assume every diplomat is a spy, every friend request is suspicious, every community group is connected to an intelligence service or every foreign investment application is a potential problem,” he said, adding “common sense is a good place to start”.

“If you are spying in this country, ASIO is looking for you. And if you are being spied on in this country, ASIO is looking out for you.”