A new chapter in bilateral cyber cooperation
The memorandum of understanding was signed on 27 October 2025 at a ceremony held at Australia House in London, attended by senior officials from both organisations. The agreement establishes a formal framework for the exchange of technical intelligence, the coordination of threat assessments, and the conduct of joint research programmes addressing the most pressing cyber security challenges facing both nations.
The MoU covers three principal areas of cooperation:
- Spam analysis and classification — the sharing of large-scale spam datasets, analytical methodologies, and automated classification tools to improve the detection and disruption of spam campaigns that serve as vectors for malware delivery and credential theft.
- Malware data sharing — the timely exchange of malware samples, indicators of compromise, reverse engineering findings, and threat actor profiles to enhance the situational awareness of both organisations.
- Joint research into emerging threats — collaborative research programmes focused on areas of mutual concern, including the use of artificial intelligence in cyber attacks, the security of Internet of Things (IoT) devices, and the resilience of critical national infrastructure to sophisticated cyber operations.
Statements from leadership
Catherine Langford, Director General of SUVAT, welcomed the signing of the agreement:
"This memorandum of understanding marks a significant step forward in the relationship between SUVAT and the ACSC. Australia is one of our closest and most valued partners in cyber security, and this agreement will enable us to work together more effectively and more rapidly in response to the threats that confront us both. The cyber threat landscape does not respect national boundaries, and our defences are strongest when we collaborate openly and generously with our allies."
— Catherine Langford, Director General, SUVAT
The Head of the Australian Cyber Security Centre, Air Vice-Marshal David Thompson AO, CSC, also commented:
"The ACSC is proud to deepen our partnership with SUVAT through this memorandum of understanding. The United Kingdom and Australia share a common commitment to a safe, secure, and prosperous cyberspace, and this agreement will strengthen our ability to detect, analyse, and respond to cyber threats at pace. I look forward to the joint research programmes that this MoU will enable, particularly in the area of AI-enabled threats, which represent one of the most significant challenges on the horizon."
— Air Vice-Marshal David Thompson AO, CSC, Head of the Australian Cyber Security Centre
Five Eyes context
The bilateral agreement sits within the broader framework of international cyber security cooperation. The Five Eyes alliance — comprising the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand — has long served as the primary multilateral mechanism for sharing cyber threat data among its member nations.
SUVAT already maintains close working relationships with each of the Five Eyes cyber security agencies: the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) in the United Kingdom, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) in the United States, the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (CCCS), and CERT NZ. The MoU with the ACSC complements and reinforces these existing arrangements.
Five Eyes cyber cooperation: In 2025 alone, SUVAT has co-authored seven joint advisories with international partners, covering threats ranging from state-sponsored espionage to ransomware and supply chain compromise. The partnership enables rapid, coordinated responses to emerging threats and ensures that defensive guidance reaches affected organisations across all five nations simultaneously.
What this means in practice
The MoU establishes several practical mechanisms to give effect to the areas of cooperation described above:
- Automated data exchange — SUVAT and the ACSC will establish secure, automated channels for the exchange of indicators of compromise, malware samples, and structured threat data in STIX/TAXII format.
- Analyst exchange programme — a programme of secondments and short-term placements will enable analysts from both organisations to work alongside their counterparts, building relationships and sharing expertise.
- Joint research fund — both organisations will contribute to a joint research fund to commission academic and industry research into emerging threats, with a particular focus on AI-enabled attacks and IoT security.
- Annual strategic dialogue — senior leaders from SUVAT and the ACSC will meet annually to review the effectiveness of cooperation under the MoU and to set strategic priorities for the year ahead.
Further information
For media enquiries relating to this announcement, contact the SUVAT Press Office at press@suvat.uk.
For information about SUVAT's international partnerships, visit the About SUVAT page.