The Australian government has taken a bold step in its ongoing diplomatic spat with China, naming the communist state as the party responsible for a series of 'malicious' cyber attacks.
Scott Morrison in June last year shocked the nation by outlining how an un-named 'state-actor' had targeted banks, universities, hospitals, transport networks, electricity grids, and the military, as part of a lengthy cyber-warfare campaign against Australia.
China-watchers and security experts pointed the finger squarely at Beijing, with insiders claiming the cyber invasion was payback for Australia's decision to ban Chinese state firm Huawei from the national 5G network in 2018 over national security concerns.
At the time, the Prime Minster and Australia's intelligence agencies did not directly accuse the authoritarian power of being behind the hacking scandal.
But on Monday night, in a joint statement co-ordinated with the US, UK, European Union, New Zealand, Canada and NATO, Beijing was named and shamed for shadowy tactics here and around the globe.
Scott Morrison (pictured) in June last year shocked the nation by outlining how an un-named 'state-actor' had targeted banks, universities, hospitals, transport networks, electricity grids, and the military, as part of a lengthy cyber-warfare campaign against Australia
The Australian government has taken a bold step in its ongoing diplomatic spat with China and it's President-for-life Xi Jinping (pictured), naming the communist state for the first time as the party responsible for a series of 'malicious' cyber attacks
'Today, the Australian Government joins international partners in expressing serious concerns about malicious cyber activities by China's Ministry of State Security,' a joint statement by Defence Minister Peter Dutton, Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne and the Minister for Home Affairs Karen Andrews.
'In consultation with our partners, the Australian Government has determined that China's Ministry of State Security exploited vulnerabilities in the Microsoft Exchange software to affect thousands of computers and networks worldwide, including in Australia.
'These actions have undermined international stability and security by opening the door to a range of other actors, including cybercriminals, who continue to exploit this vulnerability for illicit gain.'
The explosive statement goes on to say that the Australian Government is aware and seriously concerned that China's Ministry of State Security is hiring 'contract hackers' to carryout intellectual property crimes on behalf of the Beijing.
'Australia calls on all countries – including China – to act responsibly in cyberspace,' the statement said.
'China must adhere to the commitments it has made in the G20, and bilaterally, to refrain from cyber-enabled theft of intellectual property, trade secrets and confidential business information with the intent of obtaining competitive advantage.'
Insiders claimed Beijing's cyber invasion was payback for Australia's decision to ban Chinese state firm Huawei from the national 5G network in 2018, over national security concerns. Pictured: Chinese netizens are pictured at an internet cafe in Guangdong Province, China
Scott Morrison's government decided to call out China to 'highlight the significant risk they can pose to Australia's national security or to international stability'.
They say the cyber attacks can 'undermine business confidence' and stagnate 'inclusive economic growth' - a key talking point of Chinese diplomats at international conferences.
While critical infrastructure and information intelligence remains Australia's most heavily protected cyber assets, experts warn that trust in democratic institutions is our most vulnerable target.
They say the real goal of authoritarian powers such as China, Russia, North Korea and Iran is to overwhelm the
