Australia spy chief says Chinese hackers probing telecoms, critical infrastructure

SYDNEY: 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.