Australia's spy agency ASIO has established a 'cyber' intelligence unit to counter possible terror attacks on computer systems from abroad, Attorney-General Robert McClelland said. McClelland revealed the group's existence on Thursday, telling a dinner in Canberra that it followed ASIO's close co-operation with other agencies tasked with dealing with national computer emergencies.
"For this reason, ASIO has also established a specialist cyber investigations unit to investigate and provide advice on state-sponsored cyber attack against, or involving, Australian interests," he said. It is understood the team has been operating since the second half of 2010.
The attorney-general said while traditional espionage also still posed risks, "the explosion of the cyber world has expanded infinitely the opportunities for the covert acquisition of information by both state and non-state actors." "As these attacks can be staged from anywhere in the world, they can infiltrate the control systems of critical infrastructure, be activated remotely, causing damage and mayhem to our technology-dependent lives," he said.
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