The agency responded to 1,500 cybersecurity incidents in the 2025-26 year, marking a 20% increase 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 increasing availability of AI is creating positive opportunities, but it is also allowing cybercriminals and state-based actors to find vulnerabilities and launch attacks faster and more effectively. While the use of AI by malicious actors is on the rise, Australian government agencies believe having access to such frontier models and collaborating with leading AI labs is critical to bolstering cybersecurity.
Government and private networks in Australia experienced persistent breach attempts from state-based actors last year. Officials 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 agency warned that all network owners are facing elevated threat levels, stating that cybersecurity is now a core business risk and leadership responsibility for all organisations rather than just a technical concern.
Australians should prepare for basic and important online services to go offline unexpectedly, the nation's signals intelligence agency has warned.
Tony Burke, the minister for home affairs and cybersecurity, said the government was positioning Australia to respond to the evolving threats and opportunities presented by emerging technologies. The agency added that Australians should fight fire with fire against these escalating digital dangers.