Navy issues warning to anyone connected with AUKUS
International students, ties to AUKUS and access to sensitive information: The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation has revealed what foreign adversaries are targeting - and Charles Darwin University ticks the boxes.
“Charles Darwin University has a strong connection with Defence and we are committed to providing more pathways for Territorians to pursue a unique career in a sector critical to the future of this country.”
Those were the words of Charles Darwin University vice-chancellor Professor Scott Bowman after he was allocated 110 Commonwealth-supported places with a pathway to delivering nuclear-powered submarines.
In November 2023, CDU was given a generous slice of university places aimed at streamlining academic talent into defence industry and, specifically, into the AUKUS program.
At the time, Professor Bowman hailed the opportunity for his student to be “part of the planning, construction, operation and maintenance” of the high-value subs.
Fast forward two years, and the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is now warning anyone with connections to AUKUS to be on guard.
In its latest Navy Newspaper edition, the RAN reminded personnel not to let their guard down.
“Nation states are aggressively seeking sensitive information about Navy technology, personnel and capabilities, and decision-making surrounding AUKUS projects,” it said.
“Anyone connected to AUKUS could be a target and Defence members should remain vigilant in reporting suspicious activity.”
The paper revealed several suspicious activities had prompted the warning.
In one incident, someone was observed taking photos in the vicinity of a military base - they were ultimately reported to ASIO, who, according to the paper, “mitigated the threat”.
In another, a defence contractor told intelligence officers they had been contacted by a suspicious actor via social media.
An ASIO investigation later revealed the suspicious actor was tied to a foreign intelligence service.
The real-life scares prompted Director-General of Security Mike Burgess to come out and emphasise the importance of having a low profile.
“Important Defence projects are put at risk when Australians working on those projects advertise their work, security clearance, or other information via social media platforms and job websites,” he said.
According to the Navy Newspaper one professional networking site, which was unnamed, showed 7000 Australians reference their work in the defence sector.
Of that number, 400 personnel explicitly said they work on AUKUS.
“Spies from multiple countries routinely and relentlessly trawl professional networking sites, seeking to identify, target and cultivate Australians with access to privileged information,” Mr Burgess said.
ASIO’s latest report, ‘The Cost of Espionage’, offers a glimpse into the kind of people foreign adversaries are likely to target - international students being among them.
“In the event of major espionage activity impacting an Australian university that involves an international postgraduate student working on behalf of a foreign state, it is plausible that universities would need to tighten controls and lower the risk threshold for accepting students from certain countries.”
According to CDU, the university was host to around 3500 international students in 2024.
The report also warned of the implications should a US-related program is compromised.
“It is plausible that espionage activity targeting Australian university research funded by the US Government could negatively impact perceptions of the security of research at Australians,” it said.
“This could lead to a reduction in US Government funding for Australian universities, particularly as it relates to sensitive topics.”
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Originally published as Navy issues warning to anyone connected with AUKUS
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