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Year in Review - 2008-09

The Security Environment

Australia’s security environment evolved further in 2008–09, with new layers of complexity added to the threats from terrorism, espionage and foreign interference.

Within Australia, ASIO identified new extremists and ASIO’s intelligence investigations revealed a range of terrorism-related activity – the most serious being alleged planning by a Melbourne-based group of Islamic extremists for an armed suicide assault on an Australian military facility.

The Middle East, South Asia and now East Africa are the primary sources of motivation and capability for extremists in Australia. Small numbers of Australians continue to look to conflict theatres overseas for inspiration and some aspire to participate in the violence or seek to learn from the tactics and techniques employed by extremists there.

Attacks in Islamabad, Mumbai, and Lahore in 2008–09 highlighted the enduring strategic intent of al-Qa’ida-inspired terrorism and the potential for Australians to be victims of attacks overseas.[1] These and other events reinforced ASIO’s assessment that terrorism continues to be a persistent threat to Australia and Australian interests, and that the possibility of an attack in Australia remains.

The threat of hostile intelligence services exploiting Australian information systems was brought into sharper focus, with traditional espionage methods supplemented by new high-technology techniques. ASIO found further evidence of hostile intelligence services using the Internet as a means of appropriating confidential Australian Government and business information.

State-sponsored efforts to procure materiel and knowledge for weapons programs – including weapons of mass destruction – continued in 2008–09.

Communal violence within Australia remained, overall, a low level concern, and most protest activity was peaceful.

ASIO’s Activities and Outcomes in 2008–09

ASIO made a strong contribution to Australia’s national security efforts in 2008–09 through the collection, analysis and reporting of intelligence as well as through security assessment advice, protective security advice and border protection advice.

Counter-terrorism investigations remained ASIO’s highest priority in 2008–09. However, counter-espionage, foreign interference and counter-proliferation were also high priorities.

ASIO continued to cooperate and collaborate extensively, both nationally and internationally, with a wide range of policy, security, intelligence and law enforcement agencies.

  • ASIO provided advice to the National Security Committee of Cabinet and the Secretaries Committee on National Security on a number of security issues including counter-terrorism, counter-radicalisation, counter-espionage and cyber security. ASIO also contributed through the National Intelligence Coordination Committee to the development of the National Intelligence Priorities.
  • ASIO strengthened partnerships with intelligence and law enforcement agencies, in particular the Australian Federal Police (AFP).
  • ASIO continued to work closely with the other Australian intelligence agencies, particularly the Australian Secret Intelligence Service, the Defence Signals Directorate (DSD) and the Defence Imagery and Geospatial Organisation.
  • ASIO increased its network of overseas representation, and as at 30 June 2009 had 316 approved liaison relationships with authorities in 122 countries.
  • The audience for ASIO reporting expanded in 2008–09, and included 80 Commonwealth and state and territory customers within Australia.
  • ASIO produced 2,738 reports and assessments in 2008–09, including 1,092 threat assessments and 138 threat analysis papers.
  • ASIO continued to deliver high-quality strategic and thematic analysis for Australian decision-makers and policy agencies.
  • ASIO increased its liaison with the private sector, with subscribers to the Business Liaison Unit (BLU) increasing by 40 percent in 2008–09. The BLU made over 200 security reports available for business subscribers on its website.

ASIO’s border network of aviation and maritime liaison officers worked in close partnership with key aviation and maritime partners including the AFP, the Department of Immigration and Citizenship, the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service and airport and seaport authorities. ASIO continued to contribute to the security of Australia’s borders through visa security assessments.

  • In 2008–09, ASIO completed 59,884 visa security assessments including 1,466 assessments for protection visa applicants.
  • ASIO issued adverse security assessments for two individuals seeking entry to Australia in 2008–09. The visa applicants were assessed to pose a security threat due to links to a terrorist group or a foreign government.

ASIO continued to provide high-quality protective security advice to clients including through protective security risk reviews, vulnerability assessments, ministerial office security reviews and technical surveillance counter-measures testing.

ASIO contributed to the Australian Government’s 2008 Review of E-Security, working with DSD and the AFP to produce a wide-ranging classified assessment of the electronic threat environment.

ASIO’s expertise in major event security planning was used to provide security advice in support of World Youth Day (Sydney), the Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Games, and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, Peru.

ASIO continued its major investment in the development and delivery of technical collection capability and worked closely with domestic and international partners, including industry.

In 2008–09, ASIO continued to build upon its long-standing program of confidential contact with leaders and influential members of various ethnic and religious community groups in Australia.

ASIO continued to operate under a rigorous oversight and accountability framework. The Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security conducted a series of monitoring, inspection and inquiry activities and was satisfied there was no evidence of enduring, systemic deficiencies that would lead to breaches of propriety, the law or human rights.

In 2008–09, ASIO broadened its engagement outside of government, building links with industry, business and research institutions.

  • The Director-General of Security addressed conferences and audiences from business, government and academia. Nine of these speeches are available on the ASIO website.
  • ASIO’s BLU gave briefings to relevant industry forums, and coordinated an ‘Executive Program’ for the Director-General of Security to brief chief executives of Australia’s largest corporations.

Recruitment remained a high priority in 2008–09.

  • ASIO’s net staffing increased by 13 percent to 1,690 – ASIO is on track to achieve staffing levels of approximately 1,800 by 2010–11, consistent with recommendations made in the Review of ASIO Resourcing (the Taylor Review) in 2005.
  • ASIO increased its investment in training in 2008–09, to support the needs of a growing workforce with a focus on the development of management and leadership skills, language training and specialist training for ASIO’s investigative work.

Construction work commenced on ASIO’s new special-purpose, high-security central office. The new building is being designed and constructed in partnership with the Department of Finance and Deregulation. It is expected to be completed by 2012.

1 In July 2009 (shortly after the close of the reporting period), three Australians – including a senior Australian trade official based at the Australian Embassy in Indonesia – were killed in an attack on the JW Marriott Hotel in Jakarta. Other Australians were injured.

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