Science & Tech · Cybersecurity · 3 hrs ago
Australia warned to expect online outages as AI-powered cyber threats grow
Australia’s Signals Directorate warns that more online services may be taken offline unexpectedly as organisations secure them against rising cyber threats.
The agency says criminals and state-backed actors are using AI to find weaknesses and attack faster, putting businesses, government networks and critical infrastructure at risk.
In 2025-26, it responded to 1,500 cyber incidents, up 20% from the previous year, and alerted organisations to more than 4,400 potentially malicious incidents, an 80% increase.
The agency says outdated technology is a major risk because systems that no longer receive updates can be easier targets for hackers.
Cyberattacks could also threaten people’s money: Australia’s superannuation funds hold more than $4.5 trillion across at least 25 million accounts, and a regulator warned that an AI-assisted attack could drain accounts.
Organisations are being urged to update systems and prioritise security over availability, even if that means temporarily shutting services; the agency also advises seeking its help and reporting suspicious activity.
Australia’s Signals Directorate warned that artificial intelligence is helping cyber attackers find vulnerabilities and launch attacks faster, at greater scale and with greater precision.
The agency urged organisations to prioritise system security over keeping services online, warning that some services may need to go offline temporarily for protection.
In 2025-26, the directorate responded to more than 1,500 cybersecurity incidents and notified organisations of more than 4,400 potential malicious incidents.
A senior Australian financial regulator warned that an AI-amplified cyberattack could begin to empty people’s superannuation accounts.
Australian superannuation funds hold more than $4.5 trillion in assets across at least 25 million accounts.
- Who
- The Australian Signals Directorate warned organisations and Australians about rising cyber threats. The warning also highlighted risks to businesses, government agencies and superannuation members.
- What
- AI is helping malicious actors identify software vulnerabilities and conduct cyberattacks faster. The agency urged organisations to strengthen their cyber defences, even if services must temporarily go offline.
- When
- The warning was reported on October 26, 2026. The agency’s figures cover the 2025-26 financial year.
- Where
- Australia.
- Why
- The agency said AI is changing the speed and scale of cyber threats, while outdated technology leaves systems vulnerable.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Newly discovered vulnerabilities in PHP prompted governments and businesses to patch systems, and some websites went offline.
David Bradbury warned at a financial industry summit that an AI-amplified cyberattack could begin to empty people’s accounts.
The Australian Signals Directorate’s annual cyber threat report was due to be released.
- Cyber incidents handled
- More than 1,500 in 2025-26, up 20% from the previous year.
- Potential malicious incidents notified
- More than 4,400 in 2025-26, up 80% from the previous year.
- Superannuation assets
- More than $4.5 trillion.
- Superannuation accounts
- At least 25 million.
- Business attack costs
- Average $93,500 for self-reported cases, up 16% last year.
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What people are saying
They [frontier AI] are creating enormous opportunities, but they are also enabling malicious cyber actors to identify vulnerabilities and conduct attacks faster, at a greater scale and with the greater precision than ever before. This shift will only accelerate.
We need AI tools to help automate our defences to stay ahead of AI-enabled attackers.
System security must be prioritised over system availability.
It’s important and central that we’re ensuring that members’ best interests are being observed, but when you’re talking about things like a cyberattack that might be amplified by AI, driven by foreign actors; something like this could actually start to clean out people’s accounts.