Australia finds itself at the center of a cybersecurity storm following remarks from the nation’s top intelligence official, Mike Burgess. Burgess recently highlighted two hacking groups capable of infiltrating Australia’s critical communications infrastructure, posing a significant threat with their potential for “disruptive [and] destructive” actions.

While Burgess refrained from directly naming any specific country, he alluded to a well-known adversary, hinting, “one nation state — no prizes for guessing which one — [is] conducting multiple attempts to scan and penetrate critical infrastructure in Australia and other Five Eyes countries.” This veiled reference pointed towards China, amidst ongoing global cybersecurity tensions.

In response, China’s foreign ministry vehemently dismissed these assertions. A ministry spokesperson demanded a retraction from Burgess, accusing him of perpetuating false narratives and instigating discord. “In recent months, the Australian official you mentioned has repeatedly hurled attacks at China, spread disinformation and deliberately sowed division and confrontation,” stated Guo Jiakun during a Beijing press conference.

Guo further expressed hope that Australian officials would cease making what he termed “irresponsible statements,” as the diplomatic friction between the two nations shows no signs of easing.

“It’s hoped that the Australian official can stop making irresponsible statements.”

The two groups Burgess was referring to are called Volt Typhoon and Salt Typhoon, and Asio’s Director-General said espionage breaches cause a $12.5 billion hit to the economy per year.

“These groups are hackers working for Chinese government intelligence and their military,” he said at an ASIC conference in Melbourne on Wednesday.

“Both groups were involved in the theft of sensitive information, but the real danger was the threat of sabotage – disruption to critical infrastructure.”

Jiakun said China had lodged a protest with Australia, and hinted future outbursts of this nature could hinder the relationship between the two countries, which have been at loggerheads over trade and defence.

“China firmly opposes it and has protested with Australia,” he said.

“[Burgess should] do more things conducive to the healthy development of China-Australia relations.”