ASIO Boss Mike Burgess Delivers Stark Warning-Foreign Assassinations and Eroding Social Cohesion a ‘Realistic Possibility’
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SYDNEY, NSW – Wednesday, 5 November 2025
– Australia’s security landscape has never been more precarious, according to the Director-General of Security, Mike Burgess AM, who delivered a sobering assessment of threats both foreign and domestic at the 2025 Lowy Lecture last night.
The head of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) warned the country faces an unprecedented confluence of challenges, including the “realistic possibility” of politically-motivated assassination on Australian soil by foreign agents and an alarming erosion of social cohesion exploited by state-sanctioned actors and extremist groups.
Direct Threat to Life: Foreign Assassination Risk
In one of his most direct public warnings, Mr. Burgess revealed that ASIO believes at least three nations are “willing and capable” of conducting lethal targeting of “perceived dissidents” in Australia
Direct Threat to Life: Foreign Assassination Risk
In one of his most direct public warnings, Mr. Burgess revealed that ASIO believes at least three nations are “willing and capable” of conducting lethal targeting of “perceived dissidents” in Australia.2
“Given the degrading trajectory of our security environment and the growing willingness of regimes to conduct high-harm operations, ASIO assesses there is a realistic possibility a foreign government will attempt to assassinate a perceived dissident in Aust3ralia,” Mr. Burgess stated.4
He added that these regimes could attempt to obscure their involvement by using “criminal cutouts,” referencing the alleged direction by the Iranian regime of arson attacks on Jewish sites in late 2024.5 The Director-General stressed that ASIO and law enforcement are “acutely alive to this threat” and working around the clock to protect Australians.6
Social Cohesion Under Attack
The second major theme of the lecture focused on the deteriorating state of Australia’s social fabric, which Mr. Burgess argued is being weaponised by malicious actors. He identified multiple, intersecting threats to social cohesion, fuelled by three connected cohorts: the aggrieved, the opportunistic, and the cunning.
The Director-General highlighted:
- The Opportunistic: Neo-Nazi groups, such as the National Socialist Network, are actively exploiting public grievances around issues like immigration and the cost of living by hijacking public rallies to spread their hateful, divisive rhetoric.9
- The Cunning: This group, which Burgess described as the “most concerning,” includes state-sanctioned foreign operatives. He pointed to Russian operatives covertly stoking division and using social media to spread vitriolic, polarising commentary on sensitive issues like anti-immigration protests and pro-Palestinian marches.10
- Technological Accelerator: Mr. Burgess expressed deep concern that Artificial Intelligence (AI) could exacerbate online radicalisation and disinformation, warning of the risk of creating real-world “aggro-rhythms” where grievance and intolerance feed on themselves, increasing the potential for violence.11
Key Takeaway Points from the 2025 Lowy Lecture
| Threat Category | Key Warning / Assessment |
| Foreign Assassination | At least three nations are “willing and capable” of attempting to assassinate a perceived political dissident on Australian soil. |
| Social Cohesion | Under unprecedented attack, fuelled by “the aggrieved, the opportunistic, and the cunning,” leading to rising intolerance and normalised inflammatory rhetoric. |
| Foreign Interference | Russian operatives and other state-sanctioned “trolls” are using social media to sow discord, amplify distrust, and promote division, turning “hot-button issues into burning issues.” |
| Domestic Extremism | Major neo-Nazi groups are opportunistically leveraging public discontent to raise their profile and spread their white Anglo-centric ideology. |
| Technology Risk | Concerns that AI and online algorithms are accelerating extremism and disinformation, creating “aggro-rhythms” that heighten the risk of real-world violence. |
| Broader Geopolitics | More Australians are currently being targeted for foreign espionage than at any time in history, driven by strategic power competition. |
Mr. Burgess, who has led ASIO since 2019, concluded by reiterating his long-held view that in this complex environment, national security is truly “everybody’s business,” requiring a “whole of government, whole of community, whole of society” response.12
