The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) is an Australian intelligence agency and the nation’s security service.
Purpose and mission
ASIO protects Australia and Australians from threats to their security.
Motto
Securing Australia—protecting its people.
Priorities
Counter-terrorism
ASIO protects Australians from politically motivated and communal violence. We do this by collecting intelligence here and overseas; analysing and investigating terrorism threats; and providing advice to, and working with, partners to strengthen public safety and intervening to disrupt attacks.
Counter–espionage and foreign interference
ASIO protects Australia from efforts by hostile foreign intelligence services to undermine Australia’s democratic systems and institutions. We do this by collecting intelligence to detect and deter espionage and foreign interference activities targeting Australian interests here and overseas, investigating threats and advising government and industry partners as we work with them to foster institutional and community resilience.
Border security
ASIO supports whole-of-government efforts to protect Australia’s border integrity through intelligence collection and investigations into people smuggling activities. We provide unique analysis of, and security advice on, complex visa applications and other movements of goods and people, to advance the efforts of our partners in maintaining Australia’s economic and national security interests.
Reform program
ASIO is committed to accelerating the delivery of our mission through improvements to our technology. ASIO’s reform program will modernise our data analytics and increase the speed and scale of our discovery and investigative work; and deliver reforms across the Organisation to improve effectiveness in our decision-making, resolve threats quickly and drive down risk.
Governance and accountability
High levels of public trust are critical to ASIO’s operations and the effective and efficient delivery of our purpose. ASIO achieves this through strict compliance with the law, stringent application of policies and procedures, and our active cooperation with external oversight. ASIO is committed to the continual improvement of our enterprise management and governance practices to assure Australians that we pursue our work with integrity and accountability.
