ASD-Microsoft initiative bolsters Australia’s cyber defence

The Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) and Microsoft will  strengthen Australia’s cyber defences by connecting ASD’s Cyber Threat Intelligence Sharing (CTIS) platform with Microsoft’s Sentinel platform, creating a global cyber threat intelligence system.

This connection allows Microsoft’s Australian customers who also partner in ASD’s CTIS platform to share cyber threat information at the speed and scale required to mitigate against growing threats in cyberspace.

“This initiative is a significant step forward in bolstering our cyber defences,” said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles. “The best cyber defences are founded on genuine partnerships between and across the public and private sectors. It is collaborative partnerships like these that foster innovation and deliver practical outcomes for Australia’s cyber resilience.”

The integration of these platforms will enable deeper collaboration between ASD’s CTIS program and Microsoft Sentinel customers in Australia, who benefit from Microsoft’s analysis of 65 trillion signals of global threat intelligence every day.

“This initiative builds on our recently announced investment into improving our nation’s cyber defences, under the Microsoft-Australian Signals Directorate’s Cyber Shield (MACS),” according to Steven Worrall, managing director of Microsoft Australia and New Zealand.

This outcome is a key element of the Microsoft-ASD Cyber Shield initiative as part of Microsoft’s $5 billion investment in Australia announced by the Albanese Government in October 2023.

This initiative is another example of the importance of the partnership between the public and private sectors in countering collective cyber threats. It also continues to deliver on the Government’s commitment to enhance cyber threat visibility and harden the nation’s cyber defences.