The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has announced a new cybersecurity partnership with the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the Canadian Department of National Defence. This trilateral collaboration will focus on developing and testing emerging technologies in AI, cyber defense, and resilient systems, particularly in the defense sector.

Dr. Nick Joad, Director of Science and Technology at the MoD, emphasized the importance of these international partnerships, stating, “This agreement cements our collective commitments to advancing emerging cybersecurity technologies such as artificial intelligence to enhance the defense and security of our nations.”

Among the joint projects is the Cyber Agents for Security Testing and Learning Environments (CASTLE) program, which is training AI to defend against advanced cyber threats autonomously. DARPA has also highlighted ongoing efforts to create AI-based defensive software capable of quickly responding to cyberattacks.

Future research areas will include human-AI collaboration, particularly in military medical triage, and the development of trustworthy AI systems. The three nations also plan to enhance their ability to monitor and protect networks and expedite software certification processes.

DARPA Director Stefanie Tompkins reinforced the importance of this collaboration, saying, “Working with our international partners helps us leverage each other’s individual strengths to develop much greater collective capability.”

This partnership follows the MoD’s 2022 launch of its ‘secure by design’ strategy, which aims to strengthen operational security against all known cyber vulnerabilities by 2030. However, challenges remain, as evidenced by a September 2023 ransomware attack that resulted in the leak of thousands of sensitive documents, highlighting the critical need for strengthened defenses.

This collaboration marks a significant step forward in global efforts to fortify cybersecurity in the face of growing threats.