Cyber threats looming high over Australian spy agencies

Sydney, Jan 25(ANI): The Independent Review of the Intelligence Community (IRIC) has revealed that a riding wave of information on the internet has been observed.

This was first of such review in Australia over seven years and the unclassified report was released on Wednesday by the government.

It has said that six key agencies have entered a new epoch with cyber communications stretched to all corners of the globe.

"All of these changes are taking place in what has now become an age of information abundance. There is a rising ocean of open source information and yet, at the same time, covert intelligence is increasingly difficult to obtain," the report stated.

The review specifically stressed on the need to counter the growing threat of cyber world, The Age reports.

"While recognizing that terrorism, espionage, proliferation and people smuggling remain clear and present dangers, we need to build a stronger national capability to meet the challenges of the multi-polar and cyber worlds," report added.

The recommendations are confidential but mostly circle around geo-political and technological change, and the necessity to uphold the performance of the agencies.

The six agencies, which are mentioned in the report, are Australian Security Intelligence Organization (ASIO), Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS), Defence Imagery and Geospatial Organisation (DIGO), Defence Intelligence Organisation (DIO), the Defence Signals Directorate (DSD) and the Office of National Assessments (ONA). (ANI)