The Cost of Espionage in Australia: What ASIO’s $12.5B Report Means for Business Leaders
ASIO’s Groundbreaking Espionage Report
In July 2025, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) released its most comprehensive analysis to date:
Counting and Countering: The Cost of Espionage.
Prepared with the Australian Institute of Criminology, the report is the first public attempt to quantify the real financial impact of espionage in Australia.
$12.5 billion — the estimated cost of espionage to the Australian economy during 2023–24.
And ASIO is clear: this figure is conservatively low.
What is Corporate Espionage?
ASIO defines espionage as:
“The state-sponsored theft of Australian information or capabilities for passage to another country, which undermines our national interest or advantages a foreign power.”
This isn’t just a national defence issue. Private companies are being targeted for commercial gain, industrial sabotage, or insider manipulation — and most don’t even know it until it’s too late.
Key Findings from the ASIO Espionage Report
$12.5 Billion Lost in a Single Year
According to ASIO’s report, the cost breakdown for 2023–24 includes:
$1.9 billion — theft of intellectual property and trade secrets from businesses
$1.2 billion — cyber security incidents in medium and large enterprises
$324.8 million — insider threats in corporate environments
$628 million — losses across universities, government, and non-profits
$14.5 million — cyber espionage against public universities
$25 million — insider espionage in academia
And these are just the incidents that were detected and quantified.
Industries Most at Risk
ASIO identifies several industries as high-priority espionage targets:
Mining and Energy
Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering
Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
Banking and Finance
Aerospace and Defence
Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals
Public Universities and Research Institutes
Critical Infrastructure and Utilities
If your organisation holds confidential R&D, contracts, patents, or strategy data — you’re a target.
How Espionage Happens
Cyber Espionage
Attacks involving phishing, malware, infected USBs, and deep network infiltration by foreign-backed actors.
Insider Threats
Employees, contractors, or researchers leaking information, sometimes unintentionally, through manipulation or coercion.
Technical Surveillance
Covert placement of listening devices, cameras, or digital bugs in executive spaces — boardrooms, hotel rooms, vehicles, and even private homes.
Why This Is a Board-Level Risk
Espionage is now a strategic threat, with direct implications for:
Shareholder value
Competitive edge
Contract performance
Compliance (e.g., Foreign Interference laws)
Brand trust and customer loyalty
ASIO reports real-world examples of companies going into voluntary administration after infiltration, counterfeit product floods, or reputational collapse.
What Business Leaders Should Do Now
You don’t need to become a spy agency — but you do need one on your side.
Without professional detection, espionage will remain invisible until it’s too late.
Active Counter measures is a registered defence contractor
Defence Supplier Number: 2000040749
To discuss your confidential matters
We take privacy very seriously. Please follow our Recommendations carefully if you believe that you are currently being surveilled.
Continue Reading Below
How Active Countermeasures Can Help
We support executive teams and high-risk organisations with:
Technical Surveillance Countermeasures (TSCM)
Discreet, high-assurance bug sweeps across physical environments and electronic assets.
Boardroom, office, hotel, vehicle, and residential sweeps
Detection of audio/video bugs, RF transmissions, GSM/WiFi-based devices, and hidden surveillance tools
Advanced digital forensic scans of laptops, phones, and USB devices
RF spectrum monitoring and sweep verification
Full forensic reporting with evidence-based remediation plans
Executive Protection & Operational Security Planning
Securing key personnel and sensitive engagements with end-to-end operational protocols.
Pre-sweep logistics for offsite meetings, tenders, or confidential briefings
Secure travel and accommodation arrangements for executives
Physical zone hardening and controlled communication protocols
On-demand rapid response team for suspected breaches or surveillance
Espionage Awareness & Insider Threat Training
Upskill your leadership and staff to become the first line of defence.
Modern tactics used by foreign or corporate actors
Insider threat profiling, access control, and behaviour flagging
Secure briefing culture at board level
Leadership-focused security awareness that aligns with governance obligations
Visible Deterrence – Strategic Physical Presence
Sometimes, prevention is as much about perception as it is about detection.
Onsite presence of Active Countermeasures operatives at office locations, executive floors, or during sensitive meetings
Uniformed or plainclothes personnel positioned for maximum deterrent effect
Reinforces internal compliance and discourages unauthorised access, mishandling of confidential data, and insider threats
Used in conjunction with technical sweeps or independently during high-risk periods (e.g. layoffs, acquisitions, or regulatory events)
This creates a behavioural boundary through professional surveillance awareness — without disrupting operations
ASIO’s Warning Is Clear
Espionage activity in Australia has exceeded Cold War levels
In 2022–2023, 23 major espionage cases were disrupted — more than the previous 8 years combined
ASIO admits it “cannot catch every spy”
That means the responsibility now lies with business leaders to harden their own environments.
Download the Official Report
For the full report and data set, visit:
ASIO: Counting and Countering – The Cost of Espionage
-or- download it directly below
