Mr Mike Burgess, Director General
13 February 2023
Good morning. Thank you Chair.
The security environment remains complex, challenging and changing.
Espionage and foreign interference has supplanted terrorism as our principal security concern.
Australia is the target of sophisticated and persistent espionage and foreign interference activities, from a range of hostile foreign intelligence services.
These activities are an attack on our way of life.
You will also be aware that late last year I lowered the domestic terrorism threat level to POSSIBLE. There are fewer extremists with the intention to conduct an attack onshore than there were when we raised the threat level to PROBABLE in 2014.
“Possible” does not mean “negligible”, however. Australia remains a potential terrorist target, and the threats to life will always be a priority for ASIO.
Despite the complex, challenging and changing security environment, ASIO will continue working to stay ahead of these threats. We will respond as we always have, with ingenuity and agility, dedication and innovation.
Thank you, Chair.