Journalists, military veterans and judicial figures are being targeted by foreign espionage agencies at "unprecedented" levels, with the country's intelligence chief revealing a "hive of spies" was removed from Australia in the past year.
In his annual threat assessment, the director-general of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) has also hit out at former military personnel who have put "cash before country" by working for authoritarian regimes, describing them as "top tools" more than "top guns".
"Based on what ASIO is seeing, more Australians are being targeted for espionage and foreign interference than at any time in Australia's history," Mike Burgess said in a speech on Tuesday night.
"More hostile foreign intelligence services, more spies, more targeting, more harm, more ASIO investigations, more ASIO disruptions. From where I sit, it feels like hand-to-hand combat."
"This means ASIO is busier than ever before. Busier than any time in our 74-year history. Busier than the Cold War; busier than 9/11; busier than the height of the caliphate."
During his speech, Mr Burgess alluded to a "hive of spies" which ASIO had disrupted in the past year which he said was "bigger and more dangerous" than a "nest of spies" he publicly revealed was broken up two years ago.
Without naming the country involved, the ASIO boss said the spies were "undeclared — in other words, they were working undercover. Some were put in place years earlier".
"It was obvious to us that the spies were highly trained because they used sophisticated tradecraft to try to disguise their activities. They were good – but ASIO was better."
Mr Burgess said security agencies had detected "repeated attempts to hack into scores of Australian media outlets – so many, it appears to be a concerted campaign".
In one disrupted plot a "lackey" was recruited to lure "senior journalists" on all-expenses-paid "study tours" of a foreign country to obtain privileged information.
"Once in-country, the lackey was expected to introduce the journalists to 'local officials' who were really spies in disguise.
"The spies would use these opportunities to ingratiate themselves with the reporters, try to elicit insights on political, economic, defence and other issues, and identify any vulnerabilities that could be leveraged later."
The ASIO boss also revealed he has been directly pressured by public servants, academics and business identities to "ease up" on ASIO's foreign interference and espionage operations.
"Individuals in business, academia and the bureaucracy have told me ASIO should ease up its operational responses to avoid upsetting foreign regimes," Mr Burgess said.
"Of course, they are entitled to their views but the reasons they offer for them are flimsy, such as: 'All countries spy on each other'; 'We were going to make the information public anyway'; 'It's no different to lobbying or networking'; 'The foreign government might make things difficult for us'; and so on."
Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers said it was concerning that those Australians in positions of influence were not taking the threat of foreign interference seriously.
"Foreign interference and espionage is a big threat to our national security and ASIO works around the clock to protect Australians from it. It is deliberately designed to undermine our democracy and our values," he said.
Foreign spies targeting defence ahead of AUKUS announcement
With an announcement on Australia's preferred AUKUS submarine pathway due within weeks, Mr Burgess also said there had been a "distinct uptick in the online targeting of people working in Australia's defence industry".
"As we progress AUKUS, it's critical our allies know we can keep our secrets, and keep their secrets," Mr Burgess said.
Months after Defence Minister Richard Marles ordered a review into reports China was trying to recruit former Australian pilots, the spy boss confirmed former military personnel were being targeted to sell their training and expertise to foreign governments.
"In some cases, we and our partners have been able to stop the former insiders travelling overseas to provide the training, but in others, legal ambiguities have impeded law enforcement's ability to intervene."
In a recent investigation of social media, ASIO employees discovered over 16,000 Australians publicly declaring they had a security clearance, and 1,000 revealing they had worked in the intelligence community.
