Australia’s top intelligence official, Mike Burgess, has sounded an alarm over growing cyber threats from China-backed hacking groups targeting the country’s critical infrastructure. Burgess, who heads the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), revealed that at least two China-sponsored groups have managed to infiltrate or “probe” essential networks, positioning themselves for potential sabotage and espionage.
Speaking at a security conference in Melbourne, Burgess named the notorious hacker collective “Volt Typhoon” as one of the main threats, noting that it is attempting to breach Australia’s power, water, and transportation systems. He warned that successful cyberattacks could cause nationwide blackouts, water supply disruptions, and major service outages. His comments align with similar warnings from the U.S. government, which has accused Volt Typhoon of embedding malware within infrastructure systems as part of long-term strategic operations possibly linked to future geopolitical conflicts, including a potential invasion of Taiwan.
Burgess also highlighted the activities of another Chinese hacking group, “Salt Typhoon,” which has been accused of targeting telecommunications networks to steal call records and sensitive user data. According to the FBI, the group has compromised over 200 global telecom and internet firms, including AT&T, Verizon, and Lumen, prompting U.S. authorities to advise citizens to use end-to-end encrypted messaging services for better protection.
Both the U.S. and Canadian governments have confirmed breaches linked to Chinese hackers in recent months, highlighting the global scale of the cyber threat. Despite mounting evidence from Western intelligence agencies, China has consistently denied all allegations of state-sponsored hacking. Burgess warned that the risk is not just technical but strategic, emphasizing that once hackers gain access, “what happens next is a matter of intent, not capability