Western Australia Parliamentary Email Network

Summary

Western Australia's Parliament was reportedly targeted by a suspected Chinese state-sponsored cyber attack during the state's 2021 election campaign. The attack targeted the parliamentary email network, raising concerns about foreign interference in democratic processes.

What Happened

During the lead-up to the March 2021 Western Australian state election, Parliament's email network was subjected to a cyber attack that security experts and government sources attributed to threat actors linked to the Chinese government.

The attack targeted email accounts of parliamentarians and parliamentary staff, potentially accessing communications related to the election campaign, government business, and constituent matters. The incident occurred at a politically sensitive time during an active election campaign.

The attribution to Chinese state-sponsored actors was based on technical indicators and tactics consistent with known advanced persistent threat (APT) groups associated with Chinese intelligence services.

Impact on Individuals

The targeting of parliamentary email accounts created several risks:

• Political intelligence gathering: Access to campaign strategies, internal communications, and policy discussions
• Foreign interference: Potential use of stolen information to influence election outcomes
• Privacy of constituents: Emails between MPs and constituents may have been compromised
• National security: Parliamentary communications could contain sensitive government information

Organisational Response

The Western Australian Parliament engaged cybersecurity experts and worked with federal agencies including the Australian Signals Directorate to investigate the attack. The incident contributed to growing concerns about foreign state-sponsored cyber operations targeting Australian democratic institutions.

The attack occurred during a period of heightened tensions between Australia and China over various political and trade issues.