Cyber threats rising in Australia: intelligence agency warns online services may go down unexpectedly

Australia's signals intelligence agency, the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD), has warned that Australians should prepare for basic and important online services to go offline unexpectedly, urging that system security must be prioritised over system availability.

The warning came in the agency's annual cyber threat report. The report says hostile foreign governments, criminals and hackers are using artificial intelligence to gather intelligence, disrupt critical infrastructure and steal money.

ASD director general Abigail Bradshaw said on Monday that AI tools are needed to help automate defences to stay ahead of AI-enabled attackers. She said Australia must accelerate the modernisation of its technology and cybersecurity foundations to protect the systems people rely on every day.

According to the report, ASD responded to 1,500 cybersecurity incidents in 2025-26, an increase of 20% from the previous year. It also notified external entities, including businesses, governments and critical infrastructure, of more than 4,400 potential malicious cyber incidents, up 80% in a year.

The agency said government and private networks in Australia experienced persistent breach attempts from state-based actors last year, and claimed such actors in the Indo-Pacific could be launching attacks to prepare for potential future conflicts, including future intelligence collection or disruption activities.

The report said the increasing availability of AI is allowing cybercriminals and state-based actors to find vulnerabilities and launch attacks faster and more effectively. ASD warned that all network owners are facing elevated threat levels, saying cybersecurity is now a core business risk and leadership responsibility for all organisations, no longer only a technical concern.

Bradshaw identified legacy technology as among the biggest risks, saying outdated systems or devices no longer supported with updates by their creators are among the most attractive targets for hackers. ASD urged organisations to update their systems, seek help from ASD and report suspicious incidents.

Defence minister Richard Marles said on the report's release that to stay ahead, Australians must enhance their cyber defences while harnessing AI's benefit. Home affairs and cybersecurity minister Tony Burke said the government was positioning Australia to respond to the evolving threats and opportunities presented by emerging technologies.

Bradshaw and Marles said organisations should prioritise the security of their systems over keeping them online, which could mean more services are forced to go offline while they are secured. In Bradshaw's words, in a threat environment transformed by AI, collective action is the strongest defence.