AUSTRALIA HOWLS OVER ‘SOPHISTICATED’ STATE-LED CYBERATTACKS

The Australian government is grappling with massive cyber-attacks for months from what Prime Minister Scott Morrison has described as a "malicious" and "sophisticated" state-based actor, Angus Watson and Hilary Whiteman of CNN Business reported in Sydney mid-morning of June 19, 2020.

Morrison revealed the existence of the attacks during a press conference on Friday, adding that a "state-based cyber actor" is "targeting Australian organizations across a range of sectors, including all levels of government, industry, political organizations, education, health, essential service providers and operators of other critical infrastructure."

He did not specify which agencies or businesses are believed to be under attack, nor did he detail the exact nature of the attacks — though he did say that the government's investigation has not uncovered any "large-scale personal data breaches." Morrison added: "It is clear ... that this has been done by a state-based actor with very, very significant capabilities."

Morrison also did not say which state Australia believes to be behind the attack. But he told reporters that "there are not a large number of state-based actors that can engage in this type of activity." Recently, China clashed with Australia after it called for an investigation into the outbreak COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan City in the Hubei province of China in tandem with the US.