6 Australian senators, MPs confirm being targeted by APT31 in IPAC cyber attack
A number of Australian senators and members of parliament (MPs) have confirmed that they were targeted in a 2021 attack conducted by Chinese state-sponsored hackers, despite Australian authorities failing to notify them of the incident after finding out almost three years ago. The apparent intention was to garner sufficient information to mount more sophisticated follow-on attacks, escalating in severity.
Why remote working is an emerging threat vector
The Director of Cyber Security at Cisco Australia and New Zealand recently stressed the importance of monitoring employee behaviour and telemetry data to detect anomalies and maintain trust in connections. Also highlighted was the significance of intelligence sharing among businesses to mitigate cyber threats effectively by recognizing patterns and vulnerabilities exploited by criminal organizations.
The sad state of Australia’s security discourse
Australia's national security studies sector faces significant challenges due to self-censorship, a lack of diverse voices, and toxic debates, particularly regarding understanding China and Russia. The intellectual space is dominated by agreement rather than debate, leading to a lack of nuanced analysis and a reluctance to engage with controversial topics. This stifling environment discourages emerging scholars from contributing meaningfully and may have long-lasting effects on Australia's intellectual culture and national security discourse.
China’s latest unsafe interception at sea was no accident
Australia's Department of Defence recently reported an incident where a Chinese fighter jet intercepted an Australian helicopter. The incident raises questions about China's persistent provocative behaviour despite diplomatic efforts to improve relations and engage on military encounter protocols. The intercept likely aimed to dissuade Australia from enforcing sanctions against North Korea, revealing China's motivation to assert dominance and test Canberra's resolve in regional operations.
‘Very difficult’ to ‘stabilise’ Australia’s relationship with China
James Paterson, Shadow Home Affairs Minister, expressed concerns about normalizing Australia's relationship with China due to recent reports of Chinese hackers targeting Australian MPs. He emphasized that such actions demonstrate China's disregard for democratic institutions and norms, making it challenging to stabilize bilateral relations.
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