Channel Nine cyber-attack disrupts live broadcasts in Australia

A cyber-attack has disrupted live broadcasts on Australia's Channel Nine TV network, prompting concerns about the country's vulnerability to hackers.

The broadcaster said it was unable to air several shows on Sunday, including Weekend Today.

Nine said it was investigating whether the hack was "criminal sabotage or the work of a foreign nation".

Australia's Parliament was also investigating a possible cyber-attack in Canberra on Sunday.

Assistant Defence Minister Andrew Hastie said access to IT and emails at Parliament House had been cut as a precaution. He said this was done in response to issues affecting an "external provider", without elaborating.

Assistant Defence Minister Andrew Hastie said access to IT and emails at Parliament House had been cut as a precaution. He said this was done in response to issues affecting an "external provider", without elaborating.

"This is a timely reminder that Australians cannot be complacent about their cyber-security," the minister told the News.com.au website on Sunday.

"The government acted quickly, and we have the best minds in the world working to ensure Australia remains the most secure place to operate online," he said.

It's not clear if the parliamentary outage and the cyber attack on Channel Nine were connected.

The Australian government and other institutions have fallen victim to a string of cyber-attacks in recent years.

Last year, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australian organisations were being targeted by a sophisticated foreign "state-based" hacker.

Broadcaster ABC News said Australian government sources believed China was behind the attacks. Relations between Australia and China have grown increasingly acrimonious amid disputes about trade and the coronavirus.