the parliamentary email system, saying all her high-level work was
done on a more secure computer network.
The Prime Minister said the breached email network was used primarily
by local MPs to communicate with constituents.
"I have access to that system in my capacity as the Member for Lalor," she said.
"It's a system for parliamentarians. The work I do as Prime Minister I
do on an internet system hosted by the Department of Prime Minister
and Cabinet."
Earlier, the government refused to rule out the leaking of sensitive
data in hacking attacks on the accounts of at least 10 federal
ministers, including Ms Gillard.
Cyber attacks are emerging as the number one security threat facing
Australia, with the Defence Signals Directorate revealing last year it
was repelling more than 200 attempted incursions a month on defence
systems.
Security experts said Chinese and other foreign hackers were always
looking for clues on government attitudes to major resource projects
and foreign investments.
"There are massive resources projects on the drawing board in
Australia, they loom very large in the thinking of a number of other
countries," Intelligent Risk chief executive Neil Fergus said.
"Whether we green-light projects is of critical importance. I would
not understate the possibility of that, given Australia's resources
boom and its importance to a number of our key trading partners."
Mr Fergus and ANU security expert Michael McKinley both said it was
likely that Chinese hackers, whether government-employed or not, were
behind the attacks.
Spy agency ASIO remained tight-lipped about the security breach this
morning, but Dr McKinley said ASIO would be involved in investigating
the security breach, along with federal police and DSD.
"Everyone is trying to do it to somebody, but China has been caught a
few times now," he said.
"China is one of the more obvious suspects. But it's also clumsy, as
they have been caught."
Dr McKinley said Australia's security agencies would be scrambling to
close the breach now.
"Those agencies will now be scanning the network, to see if it is a
wider hack. They need to work out if they should shut it down," he
said.
Attorney-General Robert McClelland refused to comment on the hacking
this morning, citing a long-standing convention not to comment on
security operations.
He said ASIO and DSD had dedicated cyber investigations units, and the
government was "constantly strengthening" cyber security measures.
In a speech to the heads of Australian security agencies last month,
Mr McClelland warned the growing digital world had "expanded
infinitely the opportunities for the covert acquisition of
information" by foreign powers and non-state actors.
