Australians should prepare for online services to go down unexpectedly as threats rise, cyber agency warns
Summary
Australia’s signals intelligence agency warned that online services may face more unexpected outages as cyber threats rise. Its annual report said artificial intelligence can help attackers find weaknesses and launch attacks faster, while AI tools can also strengthen defences.Key Facts
- The Australian Signals Directorate responded to 1,500 cybersecurity incidents in the 2025–26 year, 20% more than the previous year.
- The agency notified businesses, governments and critical infrastructure operators of more than 4,400 potential malicious cyber incidents, an 80% annual increase.
- ASD said Australian government and private networks faced persistent breach attempts from state-based actors.
- The agency warned that outdated, unsupported technology is a major risk and an attractive target for hackers.
- ASD urged organisations to modernise their technology and treat cybersecurity as a core business risk.
- Director general Abigail Bradshaw said organisations may need to prioritise system security over uninterrupted service availability.
- The report said AI tools can help defenders detect weaknesses and suspicious activity and improve responses to attacks.
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