Australia spy chief says Chinese hackers probing telecommunications, critical infrastructure

By Kirsty Needham

SYDNEY (Reuters) -Australia’s spy chief said hackers working for the Chinese government and military had probed Australia’s telecommunications network and critical infrastructure, warning on Wednesday of the potential for disruption to the economy if a sabotage attack were carried out.

The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation’s director general of security, Mike Burgess, told a business conference in Melbourne that espionage was estimated to have cost Australia A$12.5 billion ($8.1 billion) last year, including the loss of A$2 billion in trade secrets and intellectual property.

Burgess highlighted the threat of cyber sabotage, describing the activities of the Salt Typhoon and Volt Typhoon Chinese hacking groups, which he said where “hackers working for Chinese