Department of Home Affairs | Departments/Agencies

Level of foreign interference highest within local government, ASIO boss says

By Shannon Jenkins

Federal

Australian Security Intelligence Organisation director-general Mike Burgess has shone a light on some of the ways foreign governments may attempt to influence local politicians and…

Industry Advisory Committee established to guide implementation of cyber security strategy

By Shannon Jenkins

Economy & Industry

An advisory body tasked with helping the federal government improve cyber security across the public and private sectors has held its first virtual meeting on…

Home Affairs working with NSW corruption watchdog in ‘cash for visas’ probe

By Shannon Jenkins

Federal

The ‘cash-for-visas’ scam linked to former Wagga Wagga MP Daryl Maguire could harm public trust in the management of the government’s visa and immigration program,…

Pezzullo proposes ‘extended state’ to fight national security threats

By Shannon Jenkins

Federal

In a speech to the Australian National University's National Security College on Tuesday, the senior mandarin warned that security risks have extended beyond human-initiated violence,…

Corruption watchdog tells agencies to take note after Home Affairs worker forged medical certificates

By Shannon Jenkins

Federal

Its warning has followed the sentencing of Department of Home Affairs employee Rebecca Reid over corruption-related offences.

Australia’s airport asylum procedures must be reformed, according to new research

By Shannon Jenkins

Federal

The Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law paper has called for Australia’s airport asylum process to be reformed 'to ensure that those in need of…

Not ‘appropriate’ to compensate man who was detained for four years despite valid visa, Home Affairs says

By Shannon Jenkins

Federal

The Department of Home Affairs has decided against advising a man on whether his four-year detention was unlawful and will not offer him redress, the…

Top spy agency values imagination and diversity, according to Rachel Noble

By Shannon Jenkins

Federal

Australian Signals Directorate head Rachel Noble says politicians have final say on bolstering spy powers, ASD cannot conduct mass surveillance on Australians, and it's 'rethinking'…

Proposed national security laws grant agencies stronger powers to protect critical infrastructure from cyber attacks

By Shannon Jenkins

Defence

The reforms would add these sectors to the definition of 'critical infrastructure': banking, finance, communications, data, the Cloud, defence industry, education, research, innovation, energy, food,…

2020 Cyber Security Strategy calls for centralisation of federal agency networks

By Shannon Jenkins

Communications & Technology

The strategy encourages collaboration across agencies, jurisdictions, and nations.

Federal, Victorian public servants seconded to aged care response centre

By Shannon Jenkins

Federal

More than 50 staff from across the Australian Public Service, Victorian Public Service and a number of hospitals and health services have joined the Victorian…

‘The world wins at that struggle’: Mike Pezzullo on embracing uncertainty

By Shannon Jenkins

Federal

Rapidly redeploying teams and utilising their capabilities across the Australian Public Service is now the 'permanent way of operating' in this post-pandemic world, according to…

Federal spy agencies back new report detailing Russian cyber attacks targeting COVID-19 vaccine development

By Shannon Jenkins

Federal

The targeted organisations cover a range of sectors including government, diplomatic, think tank, healthcare and energy, the report says.

Ex US secretary of homeland security to help develop Australia’s new cyber security strategy

By Shannon Jenkins

Defence

The federal government has appointed Kirstjen Nielsen to provide advice on Australia's cyber security strategy, set to be released this year.

Home Affairs’ new border processing system uses facial and fingerprint recognition

By Shannon Jenkins

Federal

The new Enterprise Biometric Identification Services system launched on Wednesday would improve Home Affairs' ability to identify criminals and 'persons of national security interest' via…