Australia’s spy chief warns of China-linked threats to critical infrastructure

Australia’s intelligence chief, Mike Burgess, warned that China‑linked threat actors are probing critical infrastructure and, in some cases, have gained access, with at least two state‑sponsored groups positioning themselves for future sabotage and espionage operations against Australian networks. He said China‑linked APT group Volt Typhoon is targeting power, water and transport networks, and that successful attacks could disrupt vital services.

Burgess also warned Salt Typhoon is targeting the country’s telecom infrastructure to steal call records and other sensitive data. The article notes that Microsoft reported in May 2024 that Volt Typhoon infiltrated critical infrastructure organisations in the U.S. and Guam without being detected, and that the campaign aimed to build capabilities to disrupt critical communications infrastructure in a future crisis.

According to Wall Street Journal, at a December Geneva summit Chinese officials indirectly admitted to Volt Typhoon cyberattacks on U.S. infrastructure, in a discussion interpreted as confirmation of Beijing’s involvement.