The Australian Government's 2025 Critical Infrastructure Annual Risk Review was released today and highlights the changing risk landscape faced by Australia's critical infrastructure.
Critical infrastructure enables the essential services that underpin Australia's prosperity and security. This includes sectors such as energy, water, food, healthcare, transport networks, financial systems, and communications. These sectors are increasingly intertwined with global supply chain dependencies exposed to third-party and geopolitical disruption.
The annual Review, released as part of Critical Infrastructure Security Month, identifies a number of developments for Critical Infrastructure operators to manage. These include the emergence of new and more complex risks from agentic artificial intelligence and other cutting-edge technology, persistent risks of sabotage as well as skill and staffing shortages.
The Report emphasises the importance of the Australian Government's commitment to safeguarding the nation's critical systems from these emerging threats and hazards. The Government has implemented the Cyber Security Act 2024, made uplifts to the Security of Critical Infrastructure regime and continues to provide support to operators through key partnerships such as the Trusted Information Sharing Network and the National Cyber Exercise Program.
Securing our nation's key infrastructure cannot be achieved by the Government alone. We work side by side with industry to continually strengthen our critical systems, to safeguard national security and economic prosperity. Industry is actively enhancing the security of critical infrastructure through targeted investment, addressing vulnerabilities, strengthening systems and securing sensitive data - efforts that are both essential and commendable.
The Government continues to work closely with critical infrastructure owners to consider what additional uplifts and supports are required to address the evolving risk environment. The Government is currently developing Horizon 2 of the Cyber Security Strategy which will include additional initiatives that Government will undertake between 2026-2028 to ensure our critical infrastructure and essential government systems can withstand and bounce back from the types of hazards which this Annual Risk Review outlines.
Read the full Critical Infrastructure Annual Risk Review here.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Home Affairs and Cyber Security Tony Burke
"Every day, Australians rely on critical infrastructure to deliver the essential services that enables our country to thrive.
"The latest Critical Infrastructure Annual Risk Review highlights the key issues currently impacting the security of Australia's critical infrastructure and aims to enhance understanding of the ways we can strengthen reliance and keep Australians safe.
"The Australian Government through the Critical Infrastructure Security Centre is committed to upholding the security and resilience of Australia's critical infrastructure in the face of all hazards, and advancing our national security, economy and social prosperity."
