Organised Crime is a $68 billion problem facing Australia every year. Criminal networks undermine our economy, exploit communities, and threaten national security. They operate across borders, use advanced technology, and rely on insiders and professionals to hide their activities. Their actions drive up costs, endanger vulnerable people, and erode public trust. Understanding how these groups work is key to disrupting them and protecting Australia’s future.

The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has released guidance on what is considered serious or systemic corrupt conduct. The document provides clarity on how these terms are interpreted under the NACC Act and outlines the responsibilities of agency leaders in referring such matters.

Espionage has become one of the most significant national security threats to Australia, impacting government, businesses and the university sector. The highly secretive nature of espionage makes it extremely difficult to measure.

This guide from the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) provides clear guidance for parliamentarians and their staff on identifying, preventing, and reporting serious or systemic corruption. It outlines who is covered under the NACC Act, mandatory referral obligations, examples of corrupt conduct, key risk areas such as grants, lobbying, and misuse of information, and the protections available for whistleblowers.

The document reinforces the importance of ethical conduct and transparency in parliamentary work.

Australia is seeing a troubling rise in rapid radicalisation, with more people drawn to a wide range of violent extremist ideologies, including anti-government views, anti-Semitism, and Islamophobia.

Fueled by the fast spread of hate through emerging technologies. The recent return to a ‘PROBABLE’ National Terrorism Threat Level reflects a shifting and complex threat environment.

To stay ahead, Australia is prioritising early prevention by supporting at-risk youth, strengthening community resilience, and building strong partnerships across government, academia, industry, and society.

The Australian Government’s latest Critical Infrastructure Annual Risk Review highlights the growing range of threats – like cyber attacks, human error, natural disasters, and supply chain disruptions, that are putting pressure on the systems we all rely on.

It emphasises the need for critical infrastructure owners and operators to stay alert to these risks and build resilience into their services, especially as recent incidents have shown how quickly issues can spread across interconnected networks and cause long-lasting disruptions.

This ACSC article outlines best practices for managing cyber security incidents, with an emphasis on safeguarding against insider threats.

To mitigate insider risks, it recommends continuous monitoring of user activity through event logs and real-time tracking of interactions across databases, systems, and networks.

By establishing mechanisms to flag unusual behaviour, organisations can identify potential threats from within and respond swiftly to prevent unauthorised data access or disruptions.

Additional monitoring of key network points, such as email servers and DNS services, strengthens defenses against insider compromise, helping maintain operational continuity and protect sensitive data from misuse or exposure.

FBI, CISA, NSA, Australian ASD and other partners globally are releasing a joint advisory:

The cyber actors affiliated with the Russian General Staff Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) 161st Specialist Training Center (Unit 29155) are responsible for computer network operations against global targets for the purposes of espionage, sabotage, and reputational harm since at least 2020.

“The purpose of the Information Security Manual (ISM) is to outline a cyber security framework that an organisation can apply, using their risk management framework, to protect their systems and data from cyber threats.”

In it’s 75th year, Mike Burgess, Director-General of Security of Australia emphasizes the growing and multifaceted security threats facing Australia, particularly highlighting that espionage and foreign interference have now surpassed terrorism as the principal concerns.

The first edition of CISC’s Critical Infrastructure Annual Risk Review provides a summary of the key risk-driven issues that have been affecting the security of Australia’s critical infrastructure over the last 12 months.

This guide is an Australian Government initiative providing an overview of how entities can understand, identify and prevent insider threat. The guide focuses on the importance of establishing a pro-integrity organisational culture and utilising preventative measures. The guide has been designed for entities to use as an educational tool, for government employees from all levels of the APS.

In his 2023 annual threat assessment, ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess highlighted that Australia faces unprecedented levels of espionage and foreign interference, which have become the primary national security threats. Additionally, while the domestic terrorism threat level has been downgraded from “probable” to “possible,” ASIO continues to monitor and address the evolving and complex nature of these threats​.

The purpose of the page on malicious insiders on the Cyber.gov.au website is to inform organisations about the threat posed by insiders who misuse their access to systems and data for malicious purposes. It provides guidance on identifying, preventing, and mitigating risks associated with malicious insiders through comprehensive security measures and best practices.

The article highlights the threat of “trusted insiders” misusing access to sensitive information, emphasizing the need for robust security measures. The Australian Government is addressing this through the Protective Security Policy Framework (PSPF), which includes ongoing vetting, risk assessments, and fostering a culture of security awareness to mitigate insider threats​.

The government is focusing on enhancing its Protective Security Policy Framework (PSPF) to strengthen personnel vetting processes, continuous evaluation, and fostering a culture of security awareness to reduce insider risks​.

This report examines previous research on malicious insiders with particular emphasis on the social and psychological factors that may have influenced the attacker and their behaviours. This research also draws on corresponding studies into fraud and espionage in non IT scenarios. A range of preventative measures is presented that approach the problem from personnel, policy and technical perspectives.

The ASIO website’s “Countering Insider Threat” section outlines the organisation’s strategy to manage risks from insiders who may intentionally or unintentionally compromise sensitive information or assets. The Australian Government is focusing on comprehensive measures including risk assessment, multi-disciplinary governance, and advanced monitoring technologies to detect, deter, and respond to insider threats, with a holistic approach that integrates human behavior analysis and technological tools​.

Terrorists can target workplaces that deal with chemicals of security concern. They may use a trusted insider – or become one – to gain access to chemicals that they can use for terrorist activities.

Policy 12: The policies under this outcome outline how to screen and vet personnel and contractors to assess their eligibility and suitability. They also cover how to assess the ongoing suitability of entity personnel to access government resources and how to manage personnel separation.