Australian Signals Directorate: Difference between revisions

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| motto          = "Reveal their secrets, protect our own"<ref>{{cite speech |last=Burgess |first=Mike |author-link=Mike Burgess (intelligence chief) |title=Cyber security – a poacher and gamekeepers’ perspective |event=Security Innovation Network Conference |date=31 July 2018 |location=Melbourne |publisher=Australian Signals Directorate |url=https://www.asd.gov.au/news-events-speeches/speeches/director-general-asd-speech-sinet61-2018 |access-date=28 October 2024}}</ref>
| motto          = "Reveal their secrets, protect our own"<ref>{{cite speech |last=Burgess |first=Mike |author-link=Mike Burgess (intelligence chief) |title=Cyber security – a poacher and gamekeepers’ perspective |event=Security Innovation Network Conference |date=31 July 2018 |location=Melbourne |publisher=Australian Signals Directorate |url=https://www.asd.gov.au/news-events-speeches/speeches/director-general-asd-speech-sinet61-2018 |access-date=28 October 2024}}</ref>
| employees      = {{formatnum:3749}} (2023–24){{sfn |ASD Annual Report 2023–24|p=116}}
| employees      = {{formatnum:3749}} (2023–24){{sfn |ASD Annual Report 2023–24|p=116}}
| budget          = $2.4 billion (2023–24){{sfn |ASD Annual Report 2023–24|p=35}}
| budget          = $2.48 billion (2025–26){{sfn |ASD Annual Report 2025–26|p=6}}
| minister1_name  = [[Richard Marles]]
| minister1_name  = [[Richard Marles]]
| minister1_pfo  = [[Minister for Defence (Australia)|Minister for Defence]]
| minister1_pfo  = [[Minister for Defence (Australia)|Minister for Defence]]
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===UKUSA Agreement (Five Eyes)===
===UKUSA Agreement (Five Eyes)===
{{more|Five Eyes}}
{{more|Five Eyes}}
Australia joined the [[UKUSA Agreement]] in 1948,<ref>{{cite press release|title=Declassified UKUSA Signals Intelligence Agreement Documents Available|url=http://www.nsa.gov/public_info/press_room/2010/ukusa.shtml|publisher=[[National Security Agency]]|date=24 June 2010|access-date=25 June 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130716140847/http://www.nsa.gov/public_info/press_room/2010/ukusa.shtml|archive-date=16 July 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> a multilateral agreement for cooperation in [[signals intelligence]] between [[Australia]], [[Canada]], [[New Zealand]], the [[United Kingdom]], and the [[United States]]. The alliance is also known as the [[Five Eyes]].<ref name="fiveeyes1">{{cite web|last=Cox |first=James |title=Canada and the Five Eyes Intelligence Community |url=http://www.cdfai.org/PDF/Canada%20and%20the%20Five%20Eyes%20Intelligence%20Community.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131204055230/http://www.cdfai.org/PDF/Canada%20and%20the%20Five%20Eyes%20Intelligence%20Community.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=2013-12-04 |publisher=[[Canadian Defence and Foreign Affairs Institute]] |date=December 2012 }}</ref> Other countries, known as "third parties", such as [[West Germany]], the Philippines, and several [[Nordic countries]] also joined the UKUSA community.<ref name="Guardian 2010"/><ref name="Gallagher 2014-06-18">{{cite web|last=Gallagher |first= Ryan|title=How Secret Partners Expand NSA's Surveillance Dragnet|url=https://firstlook.org/theintercept/article/2014/06/18/nsa-surveillance-secret-cable-partners-revealed-rampart-a|website=The Intercept|date=2014-06-19|access-date=2014-09-27}}</ref> As the Agreement was a secret treaty, its existence was not even disclosed to the [[Prime Minister of Australia|Australian Prime Minister]] until 1973, when [[Gough Whitlam]] insisted on seeing it.<ref>{{cite web|author1=Jordan Chittley  |author2=Kevin Newman |name-list-style=amp |title=Canada's role in secret intelligence alliance Five Eyes|url=http://knlive.ctvnews.ca/mobile/the-knlive-hub/canada-s-role-in-secret-intelligence-alliance-five-eyes-1.1489170|publisher=[[CTV News]]|access-date=20 October 2013}}</ref> The existence of the UKUSA Agreement was discovered by the Australian government during the [[1973 Murphy raids]] on the headquarters of the [[Australian Security Intelligence Organisation]] (ASIO). After learning about the agreement, Whitlam discovered that [[Pine Gap]], a secret surveillance station close to Alice Springs, Australia, had been operated by the U.S. [[Central Intelligence Agency]] (CIA).<ref>{{cite news|last=Ley|first=Jenny|title=Australia and America: a 50-year affair|url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/01/31/1043804523405.html|work=[[The Age]]|access-date=30 January 2014|date=1 February 2003}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Gill|first=Peter|title=Policing Politics: Security Intelligence and the Liberal Democratic State|year=1994|publisher=Cass|location=London u.a.|isbn=0-7146-3490-5|page=198|edition=1. publ.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Leslie| first=Tim|title=Explained: Australia's involvement with the NSA, the US spy agency at heart of global scandal| date=8 November 2013|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-11-08/australian-nsa-involvement-explained/5079786|quote=Its existence was allegedly so secret that prime ministers were unaware of the agreement until 1973 – the same year the Commonwealth raided ASIO|publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]|access-date=30 January 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Pugh|first=Michael C.|title=The ANZUS Crisis, Nuclear Visiting and Deterrence|url=https://archive.org/details/anzuscrisisnucle00pugh|url-access=limited|year=1989|publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]]|location=Cambridge|isbn=0-521-34355-0|page=[https://archive.org/details/anzuscrisisnucle00pugh/page/n64 46]|edition=1. publ.}}</ref> Pine Gap is now operated jointly by both Australia and the United States.
Australia joined the [[UKUSA Agreement]] in 1948,<ref>{{cite press release|title=Declassified UKUSA Signals Intelligence Agreement Documents Available|url=http://www.nsa.gov/public_info/press_room/2010/ukusa.shtml|publisher=[[National Security Agency]]|date=24 June 2010|access-date=25 June 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130716140847/http://www.nsa.gov/public_info/press_room/2010/ukusa.shtml|archive-date=16 July 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> a multilateral agreement for cooperation in [[signals intelligence]] between [[Australia]], [[Canada]], [[New Zealand]], the [[United Kingdom]], and the [[United States]]. The alliance is also known as the [[Five Eyes]].<ref name="fiveeyes1">{{cite web|last=Cox |first=James |title=Canada and the Five Eyes Intelligence Community |url=http://www.cdfai.org/PDF/Canada%20and%20the%20Five%20Eyes%20Intelligence%20Community.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131204055230/http://www.cdfai.org/PDF/Canada%20and%20the%20Five%20Eyes%20Intelligence%20Community.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=2013-12-04 |publisher=[[Canadian Defence and Foreign Affairs Institute]] |date=December 2012 }}</ref> Other countries, known as "third parties", such as [[West Germany]], the Philippines, and several [[Nordic countries]] also joined the UKUSA community.<ref name="Guardian 2010"/><ref name="Gallagher 2014-06-18">{{cite web|last=Gallagher |first= Ryan|title=How Secret Partners Expand NSA's Surveillance Dragnet|url=https://firstlook.org/theintercept/article/2014/06/18/nsa-surveillance-secret-cable-partners-revealed-rampart-a|website=The Intercept|date=2014-06-19|access-date=2014-09-27}}</ref> As the Agreement was a secret treaty, its existence was not even disclosed to the [[Prime Minister of Australia|Australian Prime Minister]] until 1973, when [[Gough Whitlam]] insisted on seeing it.<ref>{{cite web|author1=Jordan Chittley  |author2=Kevin Newman |name-list-style=amp |title=Canada's role in secret intelligence alliance Five Eyes|url=http://knlive.ctvnews.ca/mobile/the-knlive-hub/canada-s-role-in-secret-intelligence-alliance-five-eyes-1.1489170|archive-url=https://archive.today/20131020154905/http://knlive.ctvnews.ca/mobile/the-knlive-hub/canada-s-role-in-secret-intelligence-alliance-five-eyes-1.1489170|url-status=dead|archive-date=20 October 2013|publisher=[[CTV News]]|access-date=20 October 2013}}</ref> The existence of the UKUSA Agreement was discovered by the Australian government during the [[1973 Murphy raids]] on the headquarters of the [[Australian Security Intelligence Organisation]] (ASIO). After learning about the agreement, Whitlam discovered that [[Pine Gap]], a secret surveillance station close to Alice Springs, Australia, had been operated by the U.S. [[Central Intelligence Agency]] (CIA).<ref>{{cite news|last=Ley|first=Jenny|title=Australia and America: a 50-year affair|url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/01/31/1043804523405.html|work=[[The Age]]|access-date=30 January 2014|date=1 February 2003}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Gill|first=Peter|title=Policing Politics: Security Intelligence and the Liberal Democratic State|year=1994|publisher=Cass|location=London u.a.|isbn=0-7146-3490-5|page=198|edition=1. publ.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Leslie| first=Tim|title=Explained: Australia's involvement with the NSA, the US spy agency at heart of global scandal| date=8 November 2013|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-11-08/australian-nsa-involvement-explained/5079786|quote=Its existence was allegedly so secret that prime ministers were unaware of the agreement until 1973 – the same year the Commonwealth raided ASIO|publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]|access-date=30 January 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Pugh|first=Michael C.|title=The ANZUS Crisis, Nuclear Visiting and Deterrence|url=https://archive.org/details/anzuscrisisnucle00pugh|url-access=limited|year=1989|publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]]|location=Cambridge|isbn=0-521-34355-0|page=[https://archive.org/details/anzuscrisisnucle00pugh/page/n64 46]|edition=1. publ.}}</ref> Pine Gap is now operated jointly by both Australia and the United States.


The existence of the Agreement was not disclosed to the public until 2005.<ref name="timecoldwar">{{cite magazine|last=Adam White|title=How a Secret Spy Pact Helped Win the Cold War|url=http://content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2000262,00.html|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|date=29 June 2010}}</ref> On 25 June 2010, for the first time, the full text of the agreement was publicly released by the United Kingdom and the United States, and can now be [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukusa/ viewed online].<ref name="Guardian 2010">{{cite news|last=Norton-Taylor|first=Richard|title=Not so secret: deal at the heart of UK-US intelligence|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/jun/25/intelligence-deal-uk-us-released|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=25 June 2010|access-date=25 June 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Newly released GCHQ files: UKUSA Agreement|url=http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukusa/|publisher=[[The National Archives (United Kingdom)|The National Archives]]|date=June 2010|quote=The files contain details of the recently avowed UKUSA Agreement – the top secret, post-war arrangement for sharing intelligence between the United States and the UK. Signed by representatives of the London Signals Intelligence Board and its American counterpart in March 1946, the UKUSA Agreement is without parallel in the Western intelligence world and formed the basis for co-operation between the two countries throughout the Cold War.}}</ref> Under the agreement, ASD's intelligence is shared with UKUSA [[signals intelligence]] partner agencies:  
The existence of the Agreement was not disclosed to the public until 2005.<ref name="timecoldwar">{{cite magazine|last=Adam White|title=How a Secret Spy Pact Helped Win the Cold War|url=http://content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2000262,00.html|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|date=29 June 2010}}</ref> On 25 June 2010, for the first time, the full text of the agreement was publicly released by the United Kingdom and the United States, and can now be [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukusa/ viewed online].<ref name="Guardian 2010">{{cite news|last=Norton-Taylor|first=Richard|title=Not so secret: deal at the heart of UK-US intelligence|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/jun/25/intelligence-deal-uk-us-released|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=25 June 2010|access-date=25 June 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Newly released GCHQ files: UKUSA Agreement|url=http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukusa/|publisher=[[The National Archives (United Kingdom)|The National Archives]]|date=June 2010|quote=The files contain details of the recently avowed UKUSA Agreement – the top secret, post-war arrangement for sharing intelligence between the United States and the UK. Signed by representatives of the London Signals Intelligence Board and its American counterpart in March 1946, the UKUSA Agreement is without parallel in the Western intelligence world and formed the basis for co-operation between the two countries throughout the Cold War.}}</ref> Under the agreement, ASD's intelligence is shared with UKUSA [[signals intelligence]] partner agencies:  
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===Sources===
===Sources===
* {{Cite report |url=https://www.asd.gov.au/sites/default/files/2024-12/ASD-Annual-Report-2023-24.pdf |title=ASD Annual Report 2023–24 |date=2024 |publisher=[[Defence Australia]] |place=Canberra |access-date=11 April 2025 |ref={{harvid|ASD Annual Report 2023–24}}}}
* {{Cite report |url=https://www.defence.gov.au/about/accessing-information/budgets/budget-2025-26|title=ASD Annual Report 2025–26 |date=2025 |publisher=[[Defence Australia]] |place=Canberra |access-date=25 September 2025 |ref={{harvid|ASD Annual Report 2025–26}}}}


==External links==
==External links==
Line 151: Line 151:
{{Australian Defence Force}}
{{Australian Defence Force}}
{{Five Eyes}}
{{Five Eyes}}
{{Australian Government Agencies and Bodies}}


[[Category:Cryptography organizations]]
[[Category:Cryptography organizations]]

Latest revision as of 01:50, 25 October 2025

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use Australian English Template:Infobox government agency Template:Global surveillance The Australian Signals Directorate (ASD), formerly the Defence Signals Directorate, is a statutory agency of the Government of Australia responsible for signals intelligence, providing intelligence support to Australian military operations, conducting cyberwarfare and ensuring information security. The ASD is a part of the larger Australian Intelligence Community, and its role within the so-called Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance is to monitor signals intelligence in South and East Asia. The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) is an agency within the ASD.

The unit was established in 1947 by executive order as the Defence Signals Bureau within the Department of Defence, and underwent several name changes until its current name ASD was adopted in 2013. ASD was converted to a statutory body by the Intelligence Services Act 2001. ASD is based in Canberra, at the Defence Department Headquarters at Russell Offices.[1] As of February 2020, Rachel Noble is the Director-General of ASD, replacing Mike Burgess, who was appointed Director-General of Security in September 2019.

In April 2018, a proposal to empower ASD to collect intelligence on Australians was backed by former Minister for Home Affairs Peter Dutton, but was strongly opposed by some in Cabinet who argued it was not necessary.[2] Under legislation, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) and the Australian Federal Police (AFP) are already allowed to seek assistance from ASD in conducting investigations on Australian citizens and businesses.[2]

History

The Directorate has operated under a number of different names since its founding:Script error: No such module "Unsubst".

  • 1947 – Defence Signals Bureau established within the Department of Defence
  • 1949 – name changed to Defence Signals Branch
  • 1964 – name changed to Defence Signals Division
  • 1977 – name changed to Defence Signals Directorate on recommendation of the Royal Commission on Intelligence and Security (Hope Commission)[3]
  • 2013 – name changed to Australian Signals Directorate[4]

ASD commissioned an official history in 2019, which will cover the organisation's history from its establishment to 2001.[5]

Roles and responsibilities

The principal functions of ASD are to collect and disseminate foreign signals intelligence (SIGINT) and to provide information security products and services to the Australian Government and Australian Defence Force (ADF), its foreign partners and militaries.[6]

ASD operates at least three receiving stations:

ASD also maintains a workforce at Pine Gap in central Australia.[8]

ADSCS and Shoal Bay are part of the United States signals intelligence and ECHELON analysis network.[9][10] These stations also contribute signals intelligence for many Australian Government bodies, as well as the other UKUSA partners.

Electronic warfare operators in the Royal Australian Corps of Signals work closely with ASD. 7 Signal Regiment (Electronic Warfare) at Borneo Barracks, Template:QLDcity, Queensland is also associated with ASD.Script error: No such module "Unsubst"..[11]

In addition, it has been reported that many Australian embassies and overseas missions also house small facilities which provide a flow of signals intelligence to ASD.[12]

UKUSA Agreement (Five Eyes)

Script error: No such module "labelled list hatnote". Australia joined the UKUSA Agreement in 1948,[13] a multilateral agreement for cooperation in signals intelligence between Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The alliance is also known as the Five Eyes.[14] Other countries, known as "third parties", such as West Germany, the Philippines, and several Nordic countries also joined the UKUSA community.[15][16] As the Agreement was a secret treaty, its existence was not even disclosed to the Australian Prime Minister until 1973, when Gough Whitlam insisted on seeing it.[17] The existence of the UKUSA Agreement was discovered by the Australian government during the 1973 Murphy raids on the headquarters of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO). After learning about the agreement, Whitlam discovered that Pine Gap, a secret surveillance station close to Alice Springs, Australia, had been operated by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).[18][19][20][21] Pine Gap is now operated jointly by both Australia and the United States.

The existence of the Agreement was not disclosed to the public until 2005.[22] On 25 June 2010, for the first time, the full text of the agreement was publicly released by the United Kingdom and the United States, and can now be viewed online.[15][23] Under the agreement, ASD's intelligence is shared with UKUSA signals intelligence partner agencies:

Organisational structure

The Australian Signals Directorate is led by a Director-General and a Principal Deputy Director-General who oversee strategy. The ASD also comprises the Australian Cyber Security Centre, a Signals Intelligence and Network Operations Group, and a Corporate and Capability Group.

SIGINT and Network Operations Group

The Signals Intelligence and Network Operations Group is responsible for signals intelligence collection, analysis and production, and ASD's network based access and effects operations. The Group comprises an Intelligence Division and a Network Operations and Access Division responsible for foreign signals intelligence and offensive cyber operations.

Defence SIGINT and Cyber Command

The Defence Signals-Intelligence (SIGINT) and Cyber Command (DSCC) was established in January 2018 by the Chief of the Defence Force consolidating all ADF personnel within the ASD within the Joint Cyber Unit and Joint SIGINT Unit. The Commander of the DSCC is responsible to the Head of Information Warfare under the Chief of Joint Capabilities to the Chief of the Defence Force.[26]

Leadership

Director/Director-General

Name Term began Term ended
Teddy Poulden 1 April 1947[27] 1949
R.N. Thompson 1949[28] 1977
R.D. Botterill 1977[29] 1982
Tim James 1982 1994
Martin Brady 1994[30] 1999
Ron Bonighton 1999 2002
Stephen Merchant 2002 Template:Dts
Ian McKenzie Template:Dts Template:Dts
Paul Taloni Template:Dts[31] Template:Dts
Mike Burgess Template:Dts Template:Dts
Rachel Noble Template:Dts Template:Dts
Abigail Bradshaw Template:Dts Incumbent

See also

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References

Template:Reflist

Sources

External links

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  1. REDIRECT Template:National intelligence agencies

Script error: No such module "Navbox". Template:Five Eyes Template:Australian Government Agencies and Bodies

  1. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  2. ↑ a b Peter Dutton confirms push to expand powers of cyber spy agency to monitor domestic threats
  3. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  4. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  5. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  6. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  7. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  8. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  9. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  10. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  11. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  12. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  13. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  14. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  15. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  16. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  17. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  18. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  19. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  20. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  21. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  22. ↑ Template:Cite magazine
  23. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  24. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  25. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  26. ↑ Defence Chief announces new Command (30 January 2018) Australian Department of Defence News
  27. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  28. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  29. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  30. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  31. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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