Australian Security Intelligence Organisation
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 16 March 1949 |
| Jurisdiction | Australian Government |
| Headquarters | Ben Chifley Building, Parkes, Australian Capital Territory 35°17′33.6″S 149°8′40.1″E / 35.292667°S 149.144472°E |
| Employees | ~2000 |
| Annual budget | A$594.3 million (2024–25) |
| Minister responsible | |
| Agency executive | |
| Parent department | Department of Home Affairs |
| Website | asio |
The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO /ˈeɪzioʊ/) is the national security and intelligence agency of the Australian Government, responsible for protecting Australia and its citizens from espionage, sabotage, foreign interference, politically motivated violence, terrorism, and attacks on the national defence system. ASIO is a primary entity of the Australian Intelligence Community.
ASIO has a wide range of surveillance powers to collect human and signals intelligence. Generally, ASIO operations requiring police powers of arrest and detention under warrant are co-ordinated with the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and/or with state and territory police forces. The organisation is comparable to that of the United States' FBI or the British MI5.
ASIO Central Office is in Canberra, with a local office being located in each mainland state and territory capital. A new $630 million Central Office named after Ben Chifley, the prime minister who created the organisation, was officially opened by then-prime minister Kevin Rudd on 23 July 2013.