CANBERRA, Australia — Australians should prepare for important online services to go offline unexpectedly, the Australian Signals Directorate has warned, saying “system security must be prioritised over system availability.”
In its annual cyber threat report, the agency said hostile governments, criminals and hackers are using AI to gather intelligence, disrupt critical infrastructure and steal money. “We need AI tools to help automate our defences to stay ahead of AI-enabled attackers,” Director-General Abigail Bradshaw said, as quoted by The Guardian.
ASD responded to 1,500 cybersecurity incidents in 2025-26, up 20% on the previous year. It also notified businesses, governments and critical-infrastructure operators of more than 4,400 potential malicious incidents, up 80%.
The report described “persistent” breach attempts by state-based actors and said actors “in the Indo-Pacific” may be preparing for possible future conflicts. It named legacy technology as one of the biggest risks.
“To stay ahead, Australians must enhance their cyber defences while harnessing AI’s benefit,” Defence Minister Richard Marles said.
Sources: The Guardian
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