Defence under attack from Chinese spies
CHINESE spies are not just targeting information on the Future Submarines — they’re trying to infiltrate every area of Defence, the industry says.
CHINESE spies are not just targeting information on the Future Submarines — they’re trying to infiltrate every area of Defence, the industry says.
The Advertiser revealed this week that spies are attempting to hack the three competitors for the $50 billion project — France, Germany and Japan. Defence has confirmed that it’s an industry-wide issue.
“Defence is aware that cyber attacks occur on an ongoing basis, as they do throughout the defence industry,” a spokeswoman said.
“There is no evidence to suggest that Australia’s classified information has been compromised.”
Defence Teaming Centre chief Chris Burns said the industry presumed the attackers were mostly Chinese, although other countries, including Russia, are active and there are also rogue “kid hackers”.
“If you’ve got defence in your name, you regularly find out that someone’s tried to hack your website or your system,” he said. Mr Burns added that he hadn’t heard of any successful attempts, and that the industry liaised with ASIO to ensure they were protected.
The Australian Industry Group said their members always assumed spies were active, but that activity had intensified around the submarines.
AIG Defence Council executive director John O’Callaghan said the “weakest link” in big projects could be the smallest suppliers. “A lot of effort goes into ensuring that the smaller members of the supply chains, particular those supplying the weapons and systems, are protected so there isn’t any penetration through the subcontractor to the main contractor,” he said.
“There has been heightened interest among offshore entities in regards to the submarine program. The subject of the submarines is on the mind of all our members.”
Asked whether he knew who was behind attempts, he declined to name a country or group. “From the point of view of the defence industry, we can only speculate ... but the sophistication of the mechanisms means we can get a feel for what and who is responsible,” he said.
During recent meetings in France, Germany and Japan, The Advertiser learned that it is a top priority for the Government to work with shipbuilders to ensure top-secret information isn’t stolen. Shipbuilders faced up to 40 attempts a day to access classified files.
A spokeswoman for Adelaide-based shipbuilder ASC (where at least some of the Future Submarines are set to be built) said there was “no unusual activity” but that the nature of the work meant security precautions were in place. The Chinese Ambassador did not respond to a request for an interview.
Tensions in the region are rising as China increases its activities in the South China Sea and the US refuses to obey demands to keep their distance.