- Apr 5, 2014
- 6,008
The Federal Government has confirmed for the first time the Bureau of Meteorology was the target of a cyber attack.
The threat is persistent, aimed at stealing information, and will cost hundreds of millions of dollars to fix.
The bureau has a direct link to the Defence Department and officials have told the ABC they believe the attack was launched from China.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull today confirmed the attack.
"I can confirm reports that the Bureau of Meteorology suffered a significant cyber intrusion which was first discovered early last year, and the Department of Parliamentary Services suffered a similar intrusion in recent years," he said.
"Those organisations have worked hard with the experts at the Australian Cyber Security Centre to understand and fix the vulnerabilities."
Mr Turnbull also admitted for the first time that the Federal Government has the ability to launch cyber attacks.
"An offensive cyber capability housed in the Australian signals directorate provides another option for Government to respond," he said.
"The use of such a capability is subject to stringent legal oversight."
He made the comments as part of the unveiling of his $230 million Cyber Security Strategy, aimed at beefing up the nation's defences against online assaults on individuals, businesses and governments that some estimates say cost the economy as much as $17 billion a year.
The threat is persistent, aimed at stealing information, and will cost hundreds of millions of dollars to fix.
The bureau has a direct link to the Defence Department and officials have told the ABC they believe the attack was launched from China.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull today confirmed the attack.
"I can confirm reports that the Bureau of Meteorology suffered a significant cyber intrusion which was first discovered early last year, and the Department of Parliamentary Services suffered a similar intrusion in recent years," he said.
"Those organisations have worked hard with the experts at the Australian Cyber Security Centre to understand and fix the vulnerabilities."
Mr Turnbull also admitted for the first time that the Federal Government has the ability to launch cyber attacks.
"An offensive cyber capability housed in the Australian signals directorate provides another option for Government to respond," he said.
"The use of such a capability is subject to stringent legal oversight."
He made the comments as part of the unveiling of his $230 million Cyber Security Strategy, aimed at beefing up the nation's defences against online assaults on individuals, businesses and governments that some estimates say cost the economy as much as $17 billion a year.
