The Australian Government has signed its second Memorandum of Understanding with Microsoft in seven weeks, this time covering cyber security, secure cloud and critical infrastructure resilience.

The agreement was signed in Canberra on 9 June by Minister for Home Affairs and Cyber Security Tony Burke and Microsoft President of Global Affairs Lisa Monaco.

It establishes a framework for cooperation across five areas: resilience of connectivity networks and data centre infrastructure, threat information sharing and response, secure adoption of AI in government, resilience of critical infrastructure providers, and collaboration on policy and regulatory measures.

The MOU also sets up an ongoing strategic dialogue between Microsoft and the Government to monitor progress and assess the threat landscape.

Like the April agreement that preceded it, the new MOU is a statement of intent rather than a contract. The announcement does not attach funding, timelines, performance measures or reporting obligations to any of the five focus areas.

“We can’t stop all cyber attacks. But agreements like this make sure we’re more resilient. There’s no better example of private/public partnership than cyber,” Minister Burke said.

“We rely on each other to keep Australians safe online. Microsoft is a critical partner in cyber security and this agreement takes our relationship to the next level.”

Monaco said the partnership “demonstrates what is possible when government and industry work together to strengthen critical systems, support trusted innovation, and ensure new technologies are deployed securely and responsibly in the national interest.”

The new agreement shifts Microsoft’s government relationship from industry policy to the security portfolio. The April MOU was signed with the Department of Industry, Science and Resources by Minister for Industry and Innovation Tim Ayres, as the second collaborative arrangement under the National AI Plan.

That earlier agreement was framed around economic opportunity. It accompanied Microsoft’s announcement of a $A25 billion investment in Australian AI and cloud infrastructure by the end of 2029, a commitment to train three million Australians in AI skills, and acceptance of the Government’s expectations for data centre and AI infrastructure developers.

The Government described the April arrangement as high-level and non-legally binding, designed to set expectations and signal intent rather than create enforceable obligations. The June MOU uses the same instrument for the security relationship.

The April announcement also foreshadowed expanding the Microsoft-ASD Cyber-Shield, a threat-sharing partnership with the Australian Signals Directorate established in 2023, to additional government agencies. Microsoft says the new MOU realises that commitment, though the announcement does not name which agencies will be added or on what schedule.