Classified blueprints of Australia's new security headquarters in Canberra have been stolen in a cyber hit believed to have been mounted by hackers in China.
The plans were taken in an operation targeting a contractor involved with building the site, the ABC reports.
The ABC's Four Corners programme said the stolen blueprints included the building's security and communications systems, floor plan, and server locations.
Experts say the theft exposes the spy agency to being spied upon and may be a reason why construction costs have blown out enormously.
Four Corners said the attack came from a server in China, which appeared to be the main suspect behind the operation.
It reported the departments of Defence, Prime Minister and Cabinet, and Foreign Affairs and Trade had all been breached in sustained hacking operations.
The Reserve Bank and the Bureau of Statistics have both recently confirmed they had been the targets of hacking attacks, which they said were unsuccessful.
