It defends Australia from global threats and advances our national interests. It does this by providing: foreign signals intelligence (SIGINT), cyber security and offensive cyber operations as directed by the Australian Government.
ASD’s work supports the ADF, law enforcement and criminal intelligence activity against cyber criminals and responding to serious cyber incidents against Australian networks.
The Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) is Australia’s foreign signals intelligence and security agency, working across the full spectrum of operations required of contemporary signals intelligence and security agencies. These include intelligence, cyber security, and offensive cyber operations in support of the Australian Government and Australian Defence Force (ADF).
Australian Government priorities including supporting military operations, law enforcement and criminal intelligence activity against cyber criminals, and responding to serious cyber incidents against Australian networks. ASD’s origins lie in Australia’s involvement in t2 joint signals intelligence operations during the Second World War to support US and Australian forces in the Pacific theatre. In 1947, the government approved the formation of ASD’s forerunner, the Defence Signals Bureau.
In July 2017, the Australian Government agreed with the recommendation of the 2017 Independent Intelligence Review that ASD become a statutory agency within the Defence portfolio. This decision recognised ASD’s increased national responsibilities, especially in relation to cyber security and the critical operational capabilities ASD provides to the ADF. The government also agreed that ASD’s legislative mandate be amended to explicitly recognise its national responsibilities for cyber security, including the provision of advice and assistance to businesses and the community, and that it take formal responsibility for the Australian Cyber Security Centre.
The Intelligence Services Act 2001 outlines the functions of ASD. ASD:
- informs through covertly accessing information not publicly available (signals intelligence).
- protects by comprehensively understanding the cyber threat. The agency provides leading advice and proactive assistance to shape the environment and influence others to ensure governments, businesses and the community, can better manage cyber security risk.
- disrupts by delivering high-impact, full spectrum offensive cyber operations to support a range of Australian Government priorities including supporting military operations, law enforcement and criminal intelligence activity against cyber criminals, and responding to serious cyber incidents against Australian networks.
