Ever dreamt of being a spy? It seems you're not alone.
Almost 20,000 people applied for work at Australia's domestic intelligence agency last year - but only a few hundred had any success.
ASIO ran 54 recruitment campaigns throughout 2015 and 2016, spending nearly $800,000 on advertising, a new parliamentary committee report reveals.
It received 12,997 applications, from which 278 candidates were either given a job or placed in a merit pool.
On top of that, more than 6500 applications were submitted to ASIO's online employment register, with people selected for a variety of vacancies.
ASIO has 1880 staff, 45 per cent of them women.
A majority (71 per cent) are based in Canberra, while 106 are from non-English speaking backgrounds, 10 identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and 18 had a disability.
The report, tabled in parliament on Tuesday, also noted the increased level of threat to personal safety of ASIO staff.
In its submission, the agency said reporting of suspicious activities and behaviours in and around ASIO premises had risen.
It has introduced new staff-tracking and duress alert technologies to support operatives, enhanced security measures at its headquarters - including more armed AFP officers - and a suite of improved safety and security training.
ASIO recorded a $5.4 million operating loss in 2015-16, noting its financial position continues to be under pressure due to the nature and number of investigations, the heightened security environment and rising business costs.
