RE DS PIC EA B LU EP R I N T F O R G R OW I N G A S D’ S C A PA B I L I T I E S

RESILIENCEEFFECTSDEFENCESPACEINTELLIGENCECYBERENABLERSREDSPICETAB LE OF CONTE NT S

Introduction .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 2REDSPICE Snapshot .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .4
Our Purpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Our History .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 8Strategic Environment  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 10
REDSPICE Summary .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 12
Our People  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 14
Implementing REDSPICE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 16
Our Values  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 17
Our Connections .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 18
Industry Opportunities  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 19

1REDSPICEI NTRODUC TION
Director-General Australian Signals Directorate
The Australian Signals Directorate defends
Australia from global threats and advances ournational interests. ASD does this through theprovision of foreign signals intelligence, cybersecurity and offensive cyber operations, asdirected by Government.
Our work helps make Australia a more securecountry in both peacetime and conflict.
The environment in which ASD operates isbecoming increasingly challenging. Today, ourregion – the Indo-Pacific – is far-more complex
and far-less predictable than at any time since theSecond World War.
Rapidly advancing technologies present great
opportunities to improve our lives, yet also poseserious threats when used against us. Throughout
recent years, Australia has been targeted by arange of actors conducting cyber operations thatpose a significant threat to our security.
To meet these changes in the strategic
environment, ASD must continue to evolveits capabilities. We must be able to deal withincreasing complexity and volume of data,

2

Our mission remains audacious and our work has always
made a difference. Through REDSPICE, we will transform ASD
together, our future will follow our proud history.

respond to new developments in technology,
provide our people with the best possible tools
to enable our mission, and be resilient to theenvironment.

To achieve this, ASD will grow our workforce,ensuring we have the people, technology, tools
and communications to deliver our mission frommultiple locations.

REDSPICE (Resilience, Effects, Defence, Space,Intelligence, Cyber, Enablers) is designed torespond to these challenges. It is the mostsignificant single investment in ASD’s 75-year
history. REDSPICE will maintain our edge andcontinue to ensure that Australia is best prepared
to respond to the strategic and technology
environment.

Our uniquely skilled workforce, values andinnovative culture will be central to delivering
REDSPICE. This Blueprint outlines the major skill
sets ASD will continue to invest in and grow,including through 1900 new roles which include
internships and traineeships.

This Blueprint outlines what REDSPICE will deliver.
It also sets out a vision of what ASD will look like inthe future.
Under REDSPICE, ASD’s offensive cybercapabilities will triple, our signals intelligencecapabilities will be enhanced, while growth inour defensive cyber capabilities will enable thehardening and defence of our national systems
and critical infrastructure. Significantly, ASD itself
will be more resilient. This will be achieved byenabling the performance of our critical functions
nationally and globally.

REDSPICE is the necessary and timely change
needed for ASD to continue its contribution to
making Australia secure, in both peace-time andconflict. I encourage you all to familiarise yourself
with it and contribute as opportunities arise.
We have a clear mandate and path to develop
our future. Now more than ever the work we dois at the fore of Australia’s ability to protect its
interests and contribute to stability and prosperityin our region and globally.
This is an incredibly exciting time and opportunity
for all of us in ASD, to evolve our organisation inways which lay the foundation of our success forthe next 75 years.

Rachel Noble PSM
Director-General
Australian Signals Directorate

3

REDSPICERE DS PIC E
S NAP S HOT
Through REDSPICE, we will expand the range and sophisticationof our intelligence, offensive and defensive cyber capabilities,
and build on our already-strong enabling foundations.

3X

current offensive
cyber capability

2X
persistentcyber-hunt
activities

RESILIENCEEFFECTSDEFENCE

4X
Advanced AI,
machine learning andcloud technology

globalfootprintSPACE
INTELLIGENCECYBERENABLERS
41900

new analyst,
technologist,
corporate, andenabling roles
across Australia
and the world40%
staff locatedoutside Canberra

5

REDSPICEOUR PURP OS E
Australian Signals Directorate Strategic Plan 2021–22 to 2024–25
Context & External Drivers

Defend Australia from global threats and advance our national intereststhrough the provision of foreign signals intelligence, cyber security andoffensive cyber operations, as directed by Government.
Global Shifts

Technological Change

Public TrustPartnerships

Fiscal Environment

We are a world-class intelligence, covert effects and cyber security agency, enabled by talented dedicated people, leading-edge capabilities,
strong partnerships, and the trust of the Australian public. Our role as both ‘poacher ‘ and ‘gamekeeper’ uniquely positions us to provide trustedadvice and conduct intelligence operations.

OurVision

Our StrategicObjectives

6We provide unique capabilities and access that inform and makea difference. We excel in the collection and exploitation of data.

We build world-class, innovative offensive cybercapabilities that deliver real-world impact.

We make Australia the safest
place to connect online.

Deliver Strategic Advantage

Lead Cyber Security

Support Military
Operations

Counter Cyber-EnabledThreats

Provide Trusted Adviceand Expertise

Generate intelligence and operational
effects to protect and advance Australia’s
national interests.

Make Australia the safest place toconnect to the online world. Foster
national cyber security resilience.

Enable the warfighter. Protect
Defence personnel and assets.

Protect Australia and Australians
by countering cyber-enabledcrime and disrupting terrorists’use of the internet.

Deliver timely, trusted andquality advice to Government,
law enforcement, business andthe community.

People and Culture

Tradecraft

Partnerships

Technology

Governance and Risk

Leadership and Influence

Our Enabling
Capabilities

Our success is basedon the ingenuity anddiversity of our team. We
have an inclusive culturethat values and rewards
teamwork. We attract andretain the best talent.

We give our staff theskills to solve challenging
problems, and operate in
the slim area between thedifficult and the impossible.

We bring together ourexpertise and capabilities
with those of our partners
for mutual benefit.
Respectful relationships
and collaboration enable
our success.

We use technology in innovativeand creative ways to gain
asymmetric advantage. We
master technology to identify
and disrupt threats, and protect
Australian interests.

We act professionally, legally andethically. We manage risk and are
fully accountable for our actions.
We are fiscally responsible, andwe promote a culture that values
strong compliance and security
practices.

The leadership skills of our people
underpin everything we do.
And our mastery of technology
underpins our trusted advice tothe Government and the public.

Our Unique
Values

We make adifference

We belong to agreat team

We are audacious
in concept

We strive forexcellence

We are meticulous
in execution

7

REDSPICE

ASD has always adapted to meet changes in our environment. It is now time for us to evolve once
again, drawing on strengths that have characterised the success and culture of our organisation:

OUR H I STORY
Throughout our history, ASD has always adapted to meetchanges in our environment. It is now time for us to evolve once
again with REDSPICE.

yWe have maintained a capability edge at the forefront of technology. We acquired
Australia’s first supercomputer to break codes, and were an early adopter and user of ‘Big
Data’ and Cloud technology.

yPartnerships are at our core. ASD’s predecessor organisation, the Central Bureau – led byGeneral MacArthur – together with our allies, brought together Navy, Army and Air Forcepersonnel to support General MacArthur’s South-West Pacific campaign by intercepting
and decoding Japanese radio signals. It was truly Five-Eyes from our earliest beginnings –Australia, NZ, US, UK and Canada were all represented.

yFlexibility in our footprint. DSD moved from its purpose-built facility in Melbourne toco-locate with Defence Headquarters at Russell Offices, Canberra, in 1992. This facilitatedcloser relationships with Defence, other intelligence agencies, and key government
customers. ASD also incorporated the Joint Cyber Security Centres in many state capitals.

yPeople and diversity are our strength. During WWII, women played an integral part in
the work of the Fleet Radio Unit Melbourne, and the Central Bureau. In 2020, Rachel Noble
became ASD’s first female Director-General, and the first woman to head a statutory
intelligence agency in Australia.

2022 75th anniversary, REDSPICE implementation begins
2018 ASD becomes a statutory agency
We have a proud organisational history – and willcelebrate our 75th anniversary in 2022.
Our origins stretch back to WWII as part ofCentral Bureau attached to General MacArthur’sheadquarters. The Defence Signals Bureau wasestablished on 1 April 1947. Headquartered inMelbourne, our mission was then, as it is now,
to exploit foreign signals for intelligence and toensure the security of government and militaryinformation.
Our foreign signals intelligence role was formallyacknowledged in the Prime Minister’s statement to
the House of Representatives on the Hope Royal
Commission into Intelligence and Security in 1977.
Among the outcomes of that inquiry was therenaming of the agency to the Defence Signals
Directorate (DSD).

8In 2001, DSD’s functions and accountability
framework were established in law for the firsttime with the passing of the Intelligence ServicesAct 2001. Our information security role wasgreatly expanded over this decade, driven by
the seismic shift in technology and the explosive
growth of the internet. In 2013, to reflect ourwhole-of-government role in national security andensuring the secure use of modern technology by
the government, DSD was renamed the Australian
Signals Directorate (ASD).
In 2017, the Independent Review of the Intelligence
Community recommended establishing ASD as a
statutory authority within the Defence portfolio,and putting in place new arrangements for theAustralian Cyber Security Centre.			

2014   Intelligence Services Act 2001 updated to include counter cyber crime function				

2001 Intelligence Services Act 2001 passed by Parliament					1992 Moved to Canberra						 1979 Permanent facilities in Victoria Barracks, Melbourne							 1977 Hope Royal Commission, renamed Defence
Signals Directorate, functions first made public								 1964 Defence Signals Branch renamed
Defence Signals Division									 1949 Defence Signals Bureau renamed Defence
Signals Branch in Department of Defence										 1947 Defence Signals Bureau
established in Melbourne

9REDSPICE

Coercive activities
are being used

Grey-zone activities
are being adopted

Competition between global powers
continues to grow and regional
dynamics are increasing the riskof crisis. These continue to impact
Australia’s interests.

Some countries are pursuingtheir strategic interests through a
combination of coercive activities,including espionage, interference,
malicious cyber and economic levers.

Grey-zone activities are being adopted
and integrated into statecraft. They arebeing applied in ways that challengesovereignty and conventional habits ofcooperation, including through a rangeof cyber activities. These activities impact
Australia’s national security interests.

Cyber capabilities
continue to increaseSTR ATEGICE NVI RON M E NT

“Strategic competitioncontinues to increase

Some countries and non-state actors
are willing to use cyber capabilities
maliciously to seed disinformation anddestabilise economic, political andsocial systems and infrastructure. These
capabilities are a domain of modern
warfare and a tool of statecraft.

Digital technology is being
used more than everWe need innovation, creativity, and determination
to maintain our competitive edge. Our environment
is constantly evolving, and so must we. Continuousimprovement must be part of our DNA, as it hasalways been in the past.
Director-General ASD

We are at a unique point:

The coronavirus pandemic underscores
the importance of digital technology
as an economic enabler. Millions ofAustralians are now working from
home, staying connected through apps
and using digital capabilities to delivercritical services.

”

CHALLENGES

Emerging and disruptive
technologies are being
adaptedEmerging and disruptive technologies arebeing rapidly assimilated into weaponssystems, with proliferation of sophisticatedsensors, autonomous systems, and longrange and high-speed weapons.

The strategic environment is deteriorating.
The rapidly advancing technological landscapepresents great opportunities but also serious threats.
Cyber space is of increasing importance to warfare
and national security.

10Rules, norms and institutions
are under strain

Military modernisationis accelerating

Major powers are being
more assertive

Rules, norms and institutions that havehistorically helped maintain peace, security
and guidance for global cooperation are
now under strain. Pressures on governancein the global environment and in domains,such as cyberspace, open up potential
sources of friction.

Many countries in the Indo-Pacific are
accelerating their military modernisation,
enabled by a long period of economic
growth. New threats include theintroduction of advanced strike, maritime
surveillance, and anti-access andarea-denial technologies.

Some of the world’s major powers areseeking to advance their strategic interestsand exert influence across the Indo-Pacificregion. They use all elements of statecraft
tools and techniques to help achieve theirstrategic goals.

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REDSPICE

Scaled Cyber Effects

RE DS PIC E
SUM MARY
REDSPICE signals the start of the most significant
transformation in ASD’s history, investing in new
intelligence and cyber capabilities.

yTriples the offensive cyber effects capability to support the ADF

ySupports the integration of the ADF information warfare and cyber workforceyDeepens technology cooperation with allies and partnersyContributes to integrated deterrence.

New Intelligence CapabilitiesyEnhances intelligence capabilities that help prevent strategic surprise, inform
decisions of consequence and minimise miscalculationy

Increases understanding of adversaries’ capabilities, intent and decision-making

yDoubles our analytic workforce.

Enhanced National Cyber Defence

ProgramyInvesting $9.9 billion over the decade, the largest ever in cyber and intelligence capabilities

yWorkforce growth of 1900 over the decadeyGrowing and delivering asymmetric strike capabilities and offensive cyber for the ADF

yEnabling next-generation data science and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilitiesyHardening networks against cyber attack with sharpened response capabilityyEnhancing intelligence capabilitiesyImproving core ASD resilience by bolstering our national and international footprint

yProviding opportunities for Australian industry, including cyber, ICT, cloud computing andenabling services.

y

Improves resilience of critical infrastructure against sophisticated cyber attacksyIncreases the visibility of threats to Australia’s most critical systemsyImproves machine-time cyber threat intelligence sharing across government
and industryyDoubles persistent cyber-hunt activities and nationwide cyber-incident response.

Increased Resilience and RedundancyyIncreases resilience of classified communications capabilitiesyCreates redundancy in critical capabilities through national andinternational dispersal

yEmploys 40% of ASD workforce outside of CanberrayIncreases our overseas footprint fourfold.

Improved Foundational Technologies

12y

Delivers new cloud-based cyber and intelligence systems and applications

yScales up AI and machine learning capabilitiesyDelivers AI-supported offensive and defensive cyber capabilities.
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REDSPICE

Who ASD needs to realise REDSPICE:
Analysts
Create our edge, solve the problems others cannot.

OUR PEOPLE
We belong to a great team.
Delivering REDSPICE will rely on our people. Our uniquely skilled workforce, and innovativeand inclusive culture, is at the heart of ASD. Our team is located around Australia andthe globe, working side-by-side with our partners and allies. We have a diverse, agile andintegrated workforce that is supported to deliver the ASD Mission.
ASD’s workforce operates in the slim area between the difficult and the impossible. Solving
the toughest problems in foreign signals intelligence, cyber security and offensive cyber
operations requires teams of clever, curious people with diverse and complementary skills.
Details of our signals intelligence and cyber capabilities are necessarily secret. However,
the roles required by those capabilities are not secret.
We need a broad range of skills that encompasses analyst and technologist roles, as wellas corporate and enabling services.

We work with clever, inquisitive people skilled inproblem solving and creative approaches.
If this is you, then we are interested.
Go to: asd.gov.au/careers
There are many ways you can join us: Entry level Programs,
Graduates, Apprentices, Cadets and Interns.

14y

Analyse communications systems and foreign signals intelligencey

Understand targets, their intent and capabilities

yDevelop new methods of analysing and exploiting datayInvestigate large and complex data setsyPrepare intelligence products for government and allies

yDevelop and implement policies that enable legal and compliant activitiesyProtect Australia from cyber adversaries as part of the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC)ySolve cryptological problems using advanced mathematics

yTranslate, analyse and report target communications

yPlan and conduct offensive cyber operations to counter cyber crime and support the ADF

yConduct covert online operations to enable intel, cyber security and offensive cyber outcomes.

Technologists

Corporate &Enabling Services

Use emerging and cutting-edge technology and big
data to solve complex problems.

Enable our purpose.

yDevelop capabilities using softwaredevelopment skills to support intelligenceand cyber outcomesyManage the programs and projects thatenable and deliver capability

yyPerform forensic analysis and intrusion
detection to protect and defend
national interests

Ensure our workforce has
fit-for-purpose facilitiesyDeliver the ICT services that form thebackbone of enterprise performancey

Conduct reverse engineering onmalicious softwareyy

Perform system administration andmaintenance to ensure the security ofcomplex networks, systems and databases

Develop/maintain human resources,
learning, development, and training
for a dynamic, specialised, diverse andtechnical workforceyy

Think critically to design and test systems
and architecture to achieve maximum
capability impacts.

Deliver the specialised psychology andsecurity services that are a vital part ofAustralia’s intelligence communityyEnsure the services of legal counselyDevelop policies and materials to support
ASD’s international partnerships.
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REDSPICEOUR VALUE S
Reveal their secrets. Protect our own.

I M PLE M E NTINGRE DS PIC E
We will:
Change at scale and speed
The gravity of change in our strategic and technology environment sets the context forthe scope, scale and delivery speed of REDSPICE. We will move rapidly, but deliberately, toensure we maintain our capability edge. We will remain consistent with existing business
transformation activities – such as our program to deepen analyst expertise and modernise
analysis systems – and will reform our learning and development capabilities to help our staff
gain and maintain the skills required to meet emerging threats and challenges.

Draw on our culture and values and be OneASD

We make adifference

We strive forexcellence

We protect and enhance
Australia’s national security

We pursue, foster andcelebrate talent

We provide our customers
and partners with acritical edge

We are leaders in
our fields

Our expertise and advice
inform decisions ofconsequence
Our outputs are uniqueand deliver impact

We are dedicated andenthusiastic
We are adaptable andresilient in responseto change

We belong to agreat team

We are audacious
in concept

We are meticulous
in execution

We succeed by working
as OneASD andthrough partnership

We operate in theslim area between thedifficult and theimpossible

We maintain trust
through transparency

Our culture of collegiality, collaboration and continuous improvement is the key to maintaining
our unique and rewarding workplace culture. We will pursue this transformation together, withour ‘One ASD’ approach at the core.

Engage as we evolve
Our people will be engaged and supported to participate and shape the changes resulting fromthis investment. We will inform, update, listen, learn and iterate.

Collaborate
We will collaborate across industry, academia, government and with allies to deliver capability.
We leverage partnerships to drive success.

Governance

We are inclusive andvalue diversityof thought
We respect and recogniseeach other’s inputs
We support and careabout each otherWe dare to be fearless
We engage withrisk to exploit
opportunities
We succeed throughinnovation andimprovement

We are accountable tothe public throughgovernment foreverything we do
We always act legally,
proportionately andwith propriety
We manage risk to protect
Australia’s interests

ASD will use existing governance mechanisms, augmented by a dedicated REDSPICE Program
Board and External Advisory Board.
1617

OUR CON N EC TION S

I N DUSTRYOPP ORTUN ITI E S

National Intelligence
Communityyyy

Coordinated approach to workforce growth
New cloud capabilities
New national facilities

Publicyy

Enhanced national resilience in protecting
critical infrastructure
New employment opportunities nationally and globally

There are a range of opportunities for industry.
REDSPICE provides $5 billion in opportunities for Australian industry,including small and medium Australian enterprises.
We will rely heavily on Australian expertise and technology to deliver cybersecurity, telecommunication and cloud computing components, and forstrategic partnerships to deliver workforce and facility solutions.

Examples of Australian industry partnership opportunities are:Industryyyyyy$5 billion in opportunities for Australian industry
A focus on sovereign capability
Expanded partnerships with industry
New higher education partnerships
Investment in key sectors including AI, cyber, ICTand engineering

5-Eyesyyy18

ICT programs andcloud technologies,
includingmulti-classification

Delivery of facilities
and office fit outs

New and hardenedsecure comms

Strategic partnerships
to deliver workforce
planning, recruitment
and training

Program management,change andtransformationmanagement

ICT hardware
infrastructure

AI and machinelearning technology
and data services

Greater integration through expanded global footprint
Co-investment in Five-Eyes initiatives
Collaboration on AI and cyber technologies

ADFyyyy

Software-enabledcapabilities to prevent
network exploitationand deliver network
effects

Improved intelligence support to ADF
Enhanced offensive cyber capabilities to support the ADF
Integrated with ADF information warfare workforce
Hardened networks and systems.

EXPRESSING YOUR INTEREST
Contact us at asd.assist@defence.gov.au
Register at marketplace.service.gov.au or business.gov.au/odis

A S D . G O V. A U