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 government intelligence and their military".
China's embassy in Australia did not immediately respond to a request for comment. China routinely denies hacking.
Salt Typhoon had not only penetrated U.S. telecommunications systems in a strategic spying operation but also "have been probing our telecommunication networks here in Australia too," he said.
Volt Typhoon had intention to disrupt, he said, compromising U.S. critical infrastrucuture to pre-position for potential sabotage.
"We have seen Chinese hackers probing our critical infrastructure as well," he added.
Burgess warned of the potential impact on the community of widespread telecommunications disruption, including to banks and transport, and through cut-off water supplies and power.
"I assure you; these are not hypotheticals – foreign governments have elite teams investigating these possibilities right now," he said.
Other potential scenarios included an Australian company being crippled as a trade competitor, or causing panic during an election, he added.
Chinese officials made multiple complaints to the Australian government and private sector about ASIO whenever he spoke publicly about China, Burgess said last week during a speech at the Lowy Institute in Sydney. "It won't stop my resolve," he said.
($1 = 1.5389 Australian dollars)
(Reporting by Kirsty Needham in Sydney; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)
