Australia Faces Espionage Threat, Outgoing Spy Chief Tells Paper

(Bloomberg) -- Australia is facing an “unprecedented” wave of espionage, including cyber-attacks and traditional spy craft, The Australian newspaper reported.

The country is facing daily threats of foreign interference, the paper reported, citing outgoing spy chief Duncan Lewis, who is director general of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation.

The unprecedented level of attempted interference was a direct result of globalization, he said, and was not specific to Australia. Technological challenges are a game of “cat and mouse,” Lewis was quoted as saying.

One of ASIO’s best features is its strong relationships within the Five Eyes security community, which includes the U.S, the U.K., Canada and New Zealand, he said.

Lewis, who will retire in September, told the newspaper the threat of terrorist attacks had “plateaued” but was still unacceptably high.

To contact the reporter on this story: Ainslie Chandler in Sydney at achandler14@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Shamim Adam at sadam2@bloomberg.net, Beth Thomas

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