State-sponsored online spies likely to target Australian submarine program, spy agency says

By ROD McGUIRK
Associated Press

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia’s digital spy agency says the nation’s cooperation with the United States and Britain to develop an Australian fleet of submarines powered by U.S. nuclear technology is a likely target of state-sponsored cyberespionage. The Australian Signals Directorate reported on Wednesday a 23% increase in cybercrimes in the country and a 14% increase in the average cost of each crime in its latest annual online threat assessment for the fiscal year that ended June 30. The report highlights China’s role in backing a group of hackers that targeted U.S. critical infrastructure including military facilities on Guam. The report warns that the same techniques could be used against Australian infrastructure as part of information-gathering or disruptive activities.