Govt agencies face growing cyber threat

There has reportedly been a dramatic rise in the number of attempted cyber attacks on the Australian government's secure communications network.

The Intra Government Communications Network is facing hundreds of attempted breaches per month, The Australian newspaper reported, with the majority of attacks coming from Chinese and Russian hackers.

While the Australian government does not confirm if a successful attack has occurred, the 97 government agencies that use the network have reportedly stepped up their use of encryption technology.

China is considered the biggest cyber-security threat, followed by Russia and then Indonesia.