An American website has revealed some of the most secret activities of Australia's electronic spy agency as well as counter-espionage information that Australia's closest allies withheld from Canberra.

The Intercept website has published more documents leaked by former US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden that expose top secret operations by the US National Security Agency, as well as its Australian counterpart, the Australian Signals Directorate, designed to penetrate foreign computer networks.

Former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden. Credit:Reuters

The newly published information, coming little more than a week after Federal Parliament passed laws preventing publication of details of Australian intelligence operations, shows the ASD and the Australian Secret Intelligence Service are involved in highly sensitive "clandestine [human intelligence] operations to obtain cryptographic information and material".

Codenamed PAWLEYS, these operations involve covert remote access to foreign computer networks as well recruitment of spies in foreign governments, embassies and telecommunications companies to steal ciphers and cryptographic information.