Australia warns cyber fixes may cut off services

The Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) told Australians to expect interruptions to essential online services as organizations address growing cyber threats. The agency stated that protecting systems must take priority over maintaining access, even if that means taking services offline for security work.

In its annual cyber threat report released on Monday, ASD reported handling 1,500 cybersecurity incidents in the 2025-26 period. This figure represents a 20 percent increase from the previous year. The agency also notified external organizations, including businesses, governments, and critical infrastructure operators, of more than 4,400 potentially malicious incidents. That notification count rose by 80 percent over the last year.

ASD attributed the rise in activity to hostile foreign governments, criminals, and hackers using artificial intelligence to gather intelligence, disrupt infrastructure, and steal funds. State-based actors made persistent attempts to breach Australian government and private networks over the past year. The report noted that actors in the Indo-Pacific region may be conducting attacks to prepare for future conflicts, including intelligence gathering and disruption operations.

Director General Abigail Bradshaw said on Monday that Australia must accelerate improvements to its technology and cybersecurity foundations. She called for AI tools to automate defensive work so organizations can stay ahead of attackers using the same technology. Bradshaw previously discussed ASD access to Anthropic’s Mythos model, which the developer said it could not release publicly because it identifies unknown flaws in IT systems.

Defense Minister Richard Marles urged Australians to improve their protections while leveraging AI. Home Affairs and Cybersecurity Minister Tony Burke said the government is preparing the country to respond to threats and opportunities from emerging technologies. Both ministers agreed with Bradshaw that security should come before keeping systems online, potentially requiring more services to be temporarily unavailable.

Bradshaw identified ageing technology as a major vulnerability, particularly systems and devices whose makers no longer provide updates. Such equipment presents an attractive target for hackers. Last week, newly identified weaknesses in PHP, the programming language underpinning most websites, prompted governments and businesses to rush to address the problem. ASD urged organizations to keep systems updated, report suspicious incidents, and seek its assistance.