Australians should prepare for online services to go down unexpectedly as threats rise, cyber agency warns

Australians should prepare for more basic and important online services to go offline unexpectedly, the Australian Signals Directorate warned, urging that system security must be prioritised over system availability. The ASD also said businesses and critical infrastructure must use cutting-edge AI models to defend against digital threats.

ASD director general Abigail Bradshaw said on Monday that AI tools are needed to help automate defences to stay ahead of AI-enabled attackers, and that Australia must accelerate the modernisation of its technology and cybersecurity foundations to protect the systems people rely on every day.

The annual threat report, released on Tuesday, revealed that ASD had responded to 1,500 cybersecurity incidents in the 2025-26 year, an increase of 20% from the previous year. It also notified external entities of more than 4,400 potential malicious cyber incidents, up 80% in a year.

The agency said government and private networks in Australia experienced persistent breach attempts from state-based actors last year, and claimed such actors in the Indo-Pacific could be launching attacks to prepare for potential future conflicts, including future intelligence collection or disruption activities. It also said all network owners are facing elevated threat levels and that cybersecurity is now a core business risk and leadership responsibility.

Bradshaw said legacy technology, such as outdated systems or devices no longer supported with new updates by their creators, were among the biggest risks and most attractive targets for hackers. ASD urged organisations to update their systems, seek help from ASD and report suspicious incidents, and Bradshaw and defence minister Richard Marles said organisations should prioritise the security of their systems over keeping them online, which could mean more services are forced to go offline while they are secured.