Australian Government Networks Have Been Attacked

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According to recent reports, the Australian government networks are at risk of cyber-attacks. previous incidents include foreign spies had hacking into the Bureau of Meteorology last year to steal sensitive documents.

Dan Tehan, the minister assisting the prime minister for cyber security, declines to identify the foreign government power involved, but confirms cyber espionage continues. The foreign hacker installed malicious software and stole sensitive documents. As written by ibtimes.com, the Australian Signals Directorate detected suspicious activity from two computers of the bureau’s network. Upon investigation, it identified the presence of particular Remote Access Tool malware popular with state-sponsored cyber adversaries and other malware associated with cybercrime.

It is not just the bureau where the tool was used to compromise security since the malware was also found in other Australian government networks. The hack occurred due to insufficient protection on the network from more common threats linked with cybercrime.

Tehan declined to specify the country involved, although ABC says China is behind the hacking based on what an unnamed official source told the media firm in 2015. At that time, China denied it was behind the hacking. Hua Chunying, spokeswoman of China’s foreign ministry, said in a statement, “As we have reiterated on many occasions, the Chinese government is opposed to all forms of cyber-attacks”. Tehan explains: “We don’t narrow it down to specific countries, and we do that deliberately, but what we have indicated is that cyber espionage is alive and well and that’s why we want to be transparent in the report about this incident”.

Besides the bureau, local government networks recorded 1,095 serious cyber-attacks in the last year and a half to June 30, 2016.