CANBERRA, Australia (AP) 鈥 Australia鈥檚 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 nation鈥檚 digital spy agency said on Wednesday.
The Australian Signals Directorate reported 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 on June 30.
The report highlights China鈥檚 role in backing a group of hackers, known as , that targeted U.S. critical infrastructure including military facilities on Guam. It warns that the same techniques could be used against Australian infrastructure as part of information-gathering or disruptive activities.
Potential targets include 鈥 an acronym for Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States 鈥 under which the U.S. will share its nuclear submarine technology secrets.
鈥淭he AUKUS partnership, with its focus on nuclear submarines and other advanced military capabilities, is likely a target for state actors looking to steal intellectual property for their own military programs,鈥 the report said.
鈥淐yber operations are increasingly the preferred vector for state actors to conduct espionage and foreign interference,鈥 it added.
Defense Minister Richard Marles said state online actors' increased interest in Australian infrastructure, including the submarine program, demonstrated the need for greater investment in the nation鈥檚 cyberdefense capabilities.
Marles said the government would double the Australian Signals Directorate鈥檚 online capacity, investing 10 billion Australian dollars ($6.5 billion) over a decade.
Security analysts say China is the biggest state actor in cybercrime in Australia, followed by Russia and then Iran.
Mike Burgess, director-general of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, the nation鈥檚 main domestic spy agency, said last month that Beijing was 鈥渆ngaged in the most sustained, sophisticated and scaled theft of intellectual property and expertise in human history.鈥
The new report on Australia鈥檚 growing online threats comes as Australia improves relations with China. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese this month became .
Marles described Australia鈥檚 relationship with China as 鈥渃omplex.鈥
鈥淲e鈥檝e never pretended that this relationship is easy. We value, clearly, a productive relationship with China. They鈥檙e our largest trading partner, so it鈥檚 right to be investing in that relationship,鈥 Marles told Australian Broadcasting Corp.
鈥淏ut China has been a source of security anxiety for our country and we prepare for that as well,鈥 Marles added.
