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ASIS

August

Daniel Craig stars as James Bond next to an old Aston Martin. Working for Australia’s spy agency is nowhere near as glamourous.

Rare recruitment guide reveals what it takes to be a spy (sort of)

Australia’s most secretive spy agency puts the emphasis on HR speak rather than the glamour of spying as it tries to recruit staff.

  • Andrew Tillett

December 2023

Andrew Shearer, head of the powerful Office of National Intelligence.

Spy boss warns of intelligence failure without faster tech adoption

The director-general of the Office of National Intelligence says policymakers need to ensure technology is adopted faster or risk an intelligence failure.

  • Matthew Cranston

May 2023

Public support for defence spending is at its highest since 9/11.

Time to tap the huge investment opportunity of defence private sector

The public and the corporate world now see investment in a secure country as a social good.

  • Peter Dean and Hayley Channer

December 2022

New Australian Secret Intelligence Service chief Kerri Hartland.

First female chief for Australia’s foreign spy agency

Kerri Hartland had mostly recently been overseeing reforms to Parliament’s workplace culture. Now she is being thrust into the world of geopolitics.

  • Andrew Tillett

November 2022

Top spy agency is hiring 1900 workers. Here’s what it takes

The Australian Signals Directorate is on the hunt for 1900 recruits, with some of those positions reserved for cyber spies. Here’s what they actually do.

  • Updated
  • Campbell Kwan

July 2022

Charges against Bernard Collaery have been dropped.

Dreyfus orders Bernard Collaery case dropped

He was scheduled to face trial later this year over the leaking of classified information about Australia’s efforts to spy on the government of East Timor.

  • Tom McIlroy and Michael Pelly

May 2022

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong on the flight from Canberra to Tokyo on Monday. Andrew Shearer is on the far left.

Top spook Andrew Shearer spied at Scotch

After Tokyo, the Office of National Intelligence head has plenty of time to make another commitment. This one at his old alma mater.

  • Updated
  • Myriam Robin
ASIS chief Paul Symon addresses the Lowy Institute this week.

How do we keep an eye on our spies?

Our intelligence services have never been more important to us, and democratic governance is part of their strength. But do we need to look at this again?

  • Ben Scott

March 2022

Vladimir Putin cuts a lonely figure on the world stage

Isolated Putin a ‘lonely, vulnerable man’, says Australian spymaster

As Russian forces escalate the war by shelling near a nuclear power plant, Australia’s overseas spymaster says the future “does not augur well” for Vladimir Putin.

  • Andrew Tillett

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/topic/australian-secret-intelligence-service-1nw7