Australia Accuses Chinese Spy Agency of Cyber Espionage

SYDNEY — Australia, the United States, and Britain have accused a Chinese state-sponsored spy agency of cyber espionage. The Australian Signals Directorate has specifically blamed APT40, a hacking group linked to China’s Ministry of State Security, for infiltrating old and neglected computers to access sensitive information from government and business networks. This marks Australia’s first direct attribution of cyber espionage to a Chinese state-sponsored group.
The report was co-authored with allies from the Five Eyes security alliance—Canada, New Zealand, the United States, Britain—as well as Germany, South Korea, and Japan. Despite efforts by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to stabilize diplomatic relations with China, the cyber threat remains a significant point of contention.
Matt Thistlethwaite, Australia’s Assistant Minister for Defense, emphasized the growing role of the cyber domain in modern conflicts, citing lessons from the Ukraine conflict and highlighting Australia’s increased investment in cyber defense. Analysts view Australia’s allegations as part of a broader international effort to curb Beijing’s cyber activities.
China has denied the accusations, with a foreign ministry spokesman calling them an attempt to smear the country. Australia has been a frequent target of cyber-attacks, affecting major ports, a large health insurer, and a telecom company. New Zealand also recently blamed APT40 for a 2021 cyber-attack on its parliamentary network.