CANBERRA, Oct. 17 (Xinhua) -- Australia's national security agency has warned that "hostile intelligence services" are using social media as an espionage tool.
In its annual report for 2018-2019, which was tabled in parliament on Wednesday, the Australian Security Intelligence Organization (ASIO) said its resources were being stretched to breaking point by evolving spy threats.
It revealed that foreign intelligence agencies have used social media, such as employment-oriented platform LinkedIn, to target businesses and recruit spies.
"In a small number of organizations, security teams were considering making policy changes in response to receiving our advice; for example, to limit or restrict social media access on their corporate networks," the report said.
"(The advice) also generated some new intelligence back to ASIO by prompting clearance holders to report social media approaches, based on our advice of how hostile intelligence actors craft social media approaches."
In addition to social media the report also identified the emerging threat of right-wing extremism, which was laid bare by the Christchurch terror attacks, as a reason that its resources were being stretched.
Australian man Brenton Tarrant stands accused of killing 51 people in the attacks on two mosques in March.
"Extreme right-wing groups in Australia are more cohesive and organized than they have been over previous years, and will remain an enduring threat," Duncan Lewis, who stepped down as director-general of ASIO in September, wrote.
"Terrorists inspired by violent Islamist extremist and right-wing extremist ideologies reinforce their respective narratives by fomenting hatred and inciting violence to realize their ideological objectives.
"Any future extreme right-wing-inspired attack in Australia would most likely be low capability and conducted by a lone actor or small group, although a sophisticated weapons attack is possible."
