Australia’s top intelligence official has issued a stark warning about the escalating threat of cyber-attacks linked to China, targeting the nation’s critical infrastructure. Mike Burgess, Director-General of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), revealed that hackers associated with the Chinese government and military are actively probing and attempting to breach vital systems, including water, transport, telecommunications, and energy networks. Speaking at a business forum in Melbourne, Burgess emphasized that these activities pose a significant risk of “high-impact sabotage” in the coming years. He specifically identified two Chinese hacking groups, Salt Typhoon and Volt Typhoon, as key perpetrators. While Salt Typhoon focuses on espionage, Volt Typhoon aims to disrupt critical infrastructure, potentially causing widespread societal and economic damage. Burgess highlighted the potential consequences of such attacks, including the crippling of financial systems, contamination of water supplies, and prolonged power outages. He also noted that foreign espionage has already cost Australia an estimated A$12.5 billion in the past year, with A$2 billion worth of trade secrets and intellectual property stolen. Burgess described the hackers’ methods as highly sophisticated, enabling them to maintain persistent, undetected access to compromised systems. The Chinese embassy has yet to respond to these allegations.