Global research cybersecurity partners renew threat-sharing agreement
Leading research and education network organisations from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States have renewed their commitment to international cybersecurity collaboration by signing an updated Global Cyber Threat Sharing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
The renewed agreement brings together AARNet (Australia), CANARIE (Canada), Jisc (United Kingdom) and REN-ISAC/OmniSOC (United States), while welcoming REANNZ (New Zealand) as a new signatory.
The partnership aims to strengthen collective cyber defence across the global research and education community through the secure exchange of timely and actionable threat intelligence. Participating organisations share insights gained from their security operations to help research institutions identify, respond to and mitigate cyber threats more effectively.
The updated MoU also establishes protocols covering the confidentiality, handling and responsible use of shared intelligence, enabling partners to exchange sensitive information while protecting institutional and operational integrity. According to the partners, the agreement builds on an established model of trusted information sharing designed specifically to meet the cybersecurity needs of research and education organisations.
“The cyber threat landscape is constantly evolving, and attackers do not respect international borders. AI is also lowering the barrier to entry for would-be attackers,” said Heidi Fraser-Krauss, CEO of Jisc. “We are committed to work together in the long term to defend research & education globally. Through rapid sharing of threat intelligence, each partner shares in defending theirs and each others’ members and customers.”
Ben White, CEO of AARNet, highlighted the operational benefits of the collaboration: “That shared intelligence helps each partner respond more quickly, strengthen its own defences, and contribute to a more resilient global research and education community.”
Mike Tremblay, President and CEO of CANARIE, said: “Cyber threats facing the research and education sector are global in nature and demand a coordinated global approach. By renewing this agreement, we are strengthening a trusted network that enables partners to appropriately share timely, actionable threat intelligence and support one another in protecting the people, research, and infrastructure that drive innovation around the world.”
Anthony Newman, Executive Director of REN-ISAC, added: “Collaboration is one of the most effective cybersecurity tools available: “This renewed agreement strengthens a trusted global network where partners share actionable intelligence, improve collective awareness, and help protect the institutions that educate, discover, and innovate every day.”
The addition of REANNZ expands the geographical reach of the initiative and reflects growing international participation in collaborative cyber defence for the research and education sector.
“Research and education has always been an international endeavour, and cyber security needs to work the same way. Joining this agreement gives REANNZ and the organisations we support access to a trusted community of peers who are facing many of the same challenges,” said Amber McEwen, CEO of REANNZ. “By sharing knowledge and intelligence responsibly, we can strengthen our collective resilience and help ensure researchers, educators and students can continue to collaborate with confidence across borders.”