Fighter jet hacking embarrassing: Beazley

The hacking of top secret technical information about new fighter jets is embarrassing, Australia's former ambassador to the US Kim Beazley believes.

The federal government last week admitted it still doesn't know who managed to get their hands on the commercially sensitive information from a private defence contractor last year, with US officials reportedly issuing their Australian counterparts a "please explain".

"It's embarrassing, no question about that, but it's also a hell of a nuisance because we have real opportunities for advanced Australian manufacturing to engage themselves in US defence supply chains," Mr Beazley, also a former defence minister, told ABC radio on Monday.

Cybersecurity minister Dan Tehan says the US understands it was a commercial breach.

"They haven't raised any concerns," he told reporters in Canberra.