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Opinion: Australia stands at a pivotal moment in national defence. Strategic partnerships like the AUKUS pact and advanced defence technology programs are central to our national security and global standing. But as recent warnings from Australia’s top intelligence official make clear, the threat landscape is changing rapidly.
In multiple addresses, Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) Director-General Mike Burgess has highlighted the relentless hunger for strategic advantage and an insatiable appetite for inside information among foreign state actors and their intelligence services. These actors are not only targeting traditional defence channels but they are also aggressively seeking to penetrate research communities, supply chains and international alliances such as the UK and US.
This stark reality reinforces the importance of strong Defence Export Controls and secure systems to govern how sensitive information is shared, not just with allies, but across industry partners, researchers and government agencies.
The changing nature of foreign interference
Espionage and foreign interference have evolved beyond classic spycraft. Advanced persistent threats exploit both digital systems and human behaviour. From covert recruitment efforts to social engineering and misuse of professional networking platforms, foreign actors adapt rapidly to gaps in security. ASIO has disrupted 24 major espionage and foreign interference operations in recent years – an indicator that threats are growing in volume and sophistication.
Increasingly, foreign interference activities target the grey zone between classified and unclassified information. Sensitive but unclassified data, including technical designs, research findings, operational processes and commercial insights can be just as valuable to hostile actors when aggregated over time. This type of information is often shared more broadly across projects and partnerships, making it an attractive and less protected target.
Digital collaboration has further shifted the threat landscape. Cloud platforms, remote work and multinational project teams have become essential to modern defence programs, but they also expand the attack surface. Foreign actors exploit weaknesses in access controls, poor information governance and inconsistent security practices to gain footholds inside trusted environments, often without triggering traditional security alarms.
Supply chains and research partnerships are also under sustained pressure. Universities, start-ups, subcontractors and professional services firms are increasingly targeted because they may lack the same level of security maturity as prime contractors or government agencies. Once compromised, these entities can become indirect pathways into highly sensitive defence industry programs. These activities don’t just jeopardise classified data. They undermine strategic economic interests, erode trust within collaborative defence industry projects, and compromise the integrity of Australia’s export controls framework.
Why Defence Export Controls matter
Defence Export Controls is a cornerstone of national security policy. It regulates the transfer of military and dual-use technologies to ensure that:
- Sensitive capabilities are not diverted to adversaries.
- Exported technologies remain under lawful and ethical governance.
- National and allied defence advantages are preserved.
- Collaboration with allies remains secure and trusted.
Defence Export Controls now extend well beyond the physical movement of equipment or hardware. They apply equally to the transfer of technical data, software, design information, research outcomes and know-how – including information shared digitally with overseas partners. Emails, cloud-hosted documents, collaboration platforms and shared workspaces can all constitute an export if they contain sensitive defence-related information. This significantly broadens the risk surface and places greater responsibility on both organisations and individuals to ensure information is shared deliberately, securely and in line with regulatory obligations.
At the same time, Australia’s defence ecosystem increasingly relies on collaboration across government, industry, academia and allied nations. Programs like AUKUS and regional exercises like Talisman Sabre demand faster, deeper information sharing but without compromising sovereignty, compliance or trust. Export controls therefore play a dual role: protecting sensitive capabilities while enabling secure collaboration with trusted partners. Achieving both requires not only policy and oversight, but secure digital infrastructure that enforces access controls, visibility and accountability at every stage of information sharing.
In an era where foreign intelligence actors operate with unprecedented sophistication and persistence, export controls must be supported by secure information-sharing systems that uphold the highest levels of compliance and accountability.
Software as a secure foundation for modern Defence Export Controls
Defence export controls are becoming more complex as collaboration expands across government, defence primes, SMEs, research institutions and international partners. At the same time, the regulatory expectations around accountability, information security and controlled access continue to rise.
In this environment, modern software platforms are playing an increasingly important role in enabling compliant collaboration – helping organisations share sensitive information without compromising on security, sovereignty or regulatory obligations.
Secure and controlling the ‘need the know’
Digital collaboration platforms now provide stronger mechanisms for limiting access to export-controlled material, ensuring only authorised individuals and organisations can view or contribute to sensitive data. Advanced governance controls such as Tagging Based Access Control (TBAC) reduce the risk of accidental exposure, unauthorised sharing or uncontrolled distribution.
Alignment with regulatory and security frameworks
To support compliance, collaboration software is increasingly designed to align with strict security and privacy standards (such as ISO 27001 and government-aligned information security requirements like IRAP). This gives organisations greater confidence that their processes and systems support obligations under Australia’s Defence Export Controls framework and related regulatory expectations.
Audit trails and accountability by default
A key requirement in export control compliance is visibility – knowing exactly who accessed a document, when and what actions were taken. Many modern platforms provide detailed audit trails across access, sharing, approvals and collaboration activities, strengthening oversight and enabling defensible compliance reporting.
Zero-trust collaboration for multi-party environments
With domestic and international partnerships becoming more common, zero-trust approaches are increasingly embedded into collaboration tools. Granular permissions, controlled compartments and policy-driven access rules make it possible for teams to work across organisational boundaries while maintaining strict separation and oversight of export-controlled data.
Integration into existing governance and operational workflows
Rather than replacing established security frameworks and governance processes, modern platforms are increasingly designed to integrate into existing environments, supporting operational efficiency while strengthening compliance. This helps organisations embed export control requirements directly into day-to-day workflows, reducing reliance on manual processes and mitigating risk.
Ultimately, software is becoming an essential layer of defence export control maturity—helping organisations manage both technical and human vulnerabilities, reducing exposure to foreign interference risk and enabling secure, compliant collaboration in an increasingly connected ecosystem.
Securing Australia’s strategic edge
Australia’s defence posture is strengthened by innovation, collaboration with trusted allies, and the responsible management of sensitive technologies.
At a time when foreign interference threats are persistent and adaptive, our export controls must be equally resilient; supported by secure systems that reduce risk without impeding collaboration.
In a world where strategic advantage can be compromised with a single data breach, a high level of protection is not optional – it’s essential.
Mark Brown is a senior growth manager with Objective Corporation. Objective Connect offers a secure, compliant platform for government and industry partners to share sensitive information with confidence.
