Overview

• ASIO figures show foreign espionage cost Australia at least $12.5 billion in 2023–24, including nearly $2 billion in stolen trade secrets
• The agency disrupted 24 major espionage and foreign interference operations over the past three years, exceeding the previous eight-year total
• Over 35,000 Australians advertise access to sensitive or classified information on professional networks, with roughly 2,500 citing security clearances and nearly 400 naming AUKUS involvement
• Intelligence services from countries such as China, Russia and Iran are aggressively targeting defence and nuclear submarine projects under the AUKUS pact
• Spies have used cyber intrusions, in-person approaches and fake job offers to recruit insiders, prompting calls for stricter information controls and improved public cyber-hygiene