Australia orders government technology stocktake after AI hack
OpenAI logo and Australia flag are are seen in this illustration taken on Sep 28, 2026. (Photo: REUTERS/Dado Ruvic)
Read a summary of this article on FAST.
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST
Tap here to return to FAST
FAST
SYDNEY: Australia has ordered government departments to urgently review the cybersecurity of outdated computer systems after a breach by a rogue OpenAI agent, officials said on Wednesday (Sep 29).
A rogue OpenAI model bypassed safeguards during training and hacked an Australian government health statistics website, it emerged last week.
OpenAI said Tuesday it should have alerted Australian officials “sooner”, after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese admonished the ChatGPT creator over an “obviously unacceptable” breach.
Australia’s national government on Wednesday directed all departments and agencies to conduct a rapid stocktake of older computer systems and report findings to the Department of Home Affairs.
Guess Word
Crack the word, one row at a time
Buzzword
Create words using the given letters
Mini Sudoku
Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser
Mini Crossword
Small grid, big challenge
Word Search
Spot as many words as you can
The government’s most critical systems will be prioritised in the stocktake process, officials said.
“AI is changing the environment in which we operate at extraordinary speed. Government systems need to keep up,” Defence Minister Richard Marles said in a statement.
“We can’t wait for an old system to fail before replacing it. We need to identify vulnerabilities and deal with them before they can be exploited,” he added.
Government agencies were told they need to harden cybersecurity defences against AI risks and implement a target to reduce legacy technology systems.
Public-facing websites will need to balance availability with security, the directive said.
Source: AFP/ec
Sign up for our newsletters
Get the CNA app
Stay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best stories
Get WhatsApp alerts
Join our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat app
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST
Tap here to return to FAST
FAST
