Mike Burgess named as new ASIO Director-General of Security

Mike Burgess has been named as the new Director-General of Security for the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO).

Burgess leaves his post as Director-General of the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) to assume his new role, having taken helm of the ASD in December 2017.

"In my current role I get to see ASIO very closely as they counter terrorism espionage and foreign interference. It's an incredibly impressive organisation and more so the people who do that work. They are professionals who work tirelessly and effortlessly to protect Australia from serious threats from where they operate in the shadows -- they operate within the law," Burgess told media while announcing his new appointment.

"My role will be to continue that important work."

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He takes over from current Director-General of Security Duncan Lewis on September 15.

"ASIO performs incredibly important work of defending Australia from serious threats and those threats are very real," Burgess continued.

"So while I am humbled and excited by the challenge ahead, leaving the Australian Signals Directorate will be difficult. I've had a productive 18 months, a rewarding time, but most importantly I will miss the staff -- the clever, curious, committed individuals who belong to a great team, and like the staff at ASIO, truly make a difference in the security of our country."

Prior to the ASD, Burgess was chief information security officer at Telstra and held various other security roles, such as in consultancy.

He has also previously served as a member of the federal government's Naval Shipbuilding Advisory Board and was the Deputy Director for Cyber and Information Security at the Defence Signals Directorate.

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