LevelBlue is making a multi-million-dollar investment in a new local Security Operations Center (SOC) in Sydney, going live August 25, 2026. The Sydney SOC gives Australian organizations, with a particular focus on critical infrastructure owners and operators, access to onshore analysts and local escalation pathways, backed by the scale, threat intelligence, and 24/7 coverage of LevelBlue’s global security operations. The result is a security model built for local engagement, backed by continuous global support.
“Australian organizations want a security partner that understands the local regulatory environment and can quickly escalate when an incident occurs,” said Jo Salisbury, Regional Director Growth & Performance – APAC at LevelBlue. “Geopolitical tensions are intensifying the threat landscape, and our Sydney SOC gives Australian organizations access to local analysts and context, together with global threat intelligence and 24/7 coverage that critical infrastructure operators need to manage risk, support their SOCI obligations, and strengthen cyber resilience.”
The investment comes as Australia’s critical infrastructure organizations face increasing pressure to identify and manage cyber risk, respond rapidly to incidents, and meet obligations under the Security of Critical Infrastructure (SOCI) Act. Applicable entities may be required to report significant cyber incidents within 12 hours and other relevant incidents within 72 hours, and designated entities must adopt, maintain, and comply with a written Critical Infrastructure Risk Management Program.
Demand for local cybersecurity capability is increasing across Australia and New Zealand, driven by these SOCI obligations, heightened scrutiny of operational and third-party risk, evolving data-handling expectations, growing Essential Eight adoption, and a persistent cybersecurity skills shortage.
Cyber threats do not respect geographic boundaries. Organizations need security teams that understand the Australian business environment and regulatory landscape while also maintaining visibility into global threats and attack trends.
LevelBlue’s Sydney SOC was built to meet both requirements. Australian customers gain access to local analysts, regional expertise, and in-country escalation pathways, supported by the scale and intelligence of LevelBlue’s global security operations.
The Sydney team provides 12 hours of Australia-based coverage daily, extended to 24/7 monitoring and response through LevelBlue’s global SOC network. Customers can engage with analysts who understand local operating realities while benefiting from around-the-clock access to global telemetry, threat intelligence, and specialist expertise.
This investment also strengthens LevelBlue’s security operations within the Five Eyes region, expanding the company’s ability to support Australian organizations with local expertise informed by global intelligence. As adversaries continue to share tools, techniques, and infrastructure across borders, broad threat visibility becomes an increasingly important component of cyber resilience.
Key benefits include Australia-based SOC operations staffed by local analysts, seamless 24/7 coverage through LevelBlue’s global SOC network, and local contacts and clearly defined escalation pathways. It also covers threat intelligence applied by local and global security teams, broader threat visibility drawn from LevelBlue’s global telemetry, and supporting critical infrastructure organizations.
The SOCI Act requires applicable critical infrastructure entities to embed risk management, preparedness, and resilience into their operations. Meeting these expectations often requires a combination of technology, operational processes, and access to experienced security professionals.
LevelBlue supports these efforts through continuous monitoring and detection, local escalation and incident coordination, threat intelligence applied by local and global teams, and incident-response capabilities.
LevelBlue can also help organizations strengthen elements of their Essential Eight strategy as part of a broader cyber resilience program. Essential Eight should be treated as complementary to SOCI, not as a substitute for it, and not interchangeable with SOCI requirements.
Melbourne Airport is among the first Australian organizations to transition to LevelBlue’s Sydney SOC.
“As a LevelBlue customer for six years, we have consistently valued the strength and reliability of our partnership. We are proud to be the first organisation to transition to LevelBlue’s Australian SOC, giving us greater access to local expertise and escalation backed by LevelBlue’s global intelligence and expertise,” said Anthony Tomai, Melbourne Airport Chief Information Officer. “For Melbourne Airport, this local capability strengthens our ability to manage cyber risk and support our obligations under the Security of Critical Infrastructure Act. It is exactly the kind of investment Australian critical infrastructure needs from a trusted security partner.”
By combining local security operations with global intelligence and specialist expertise, LevelBlue helps critical infrastructure organizations strengthen cyber resilience and support the broader risk-management initiatives associated with today’s regulatory and threat landscape.
As cybersecurity requirements become more complex, organizations increasingly want security partners whose recommendations are driven by security outcomes, not by promoting a single technology vendor. As a vendor-agnostic managed security services provider (MSSP), LevelBlue focuses on delivering independent expertise, trusted guidance, and services tailored to each customer’s environment.
“This investment reflects LevelBlue’s commitment to the Australian market and the critical infrastructure sector,” said Allison Clelan, Senior Vice President, Managed Global Security Solutions, LevelBlue. “As a vendor-agnostic MSSP, we bring local delivery and global scale together to help clients strengthen resilience while retaining greater choice and flexibility across their security environments.”
This investment in the Sydney SOC reflects a long-term commitment to the Australian market and the organizations that power it. By combining Australia-based analysts, local escalation pathways, and knowledge of Australian requirements with 24/7 support through LevelBlue’s global SOC network, LevelBlue delivers a security operations approach that balances local accessibility with global scale.
For critical infrastructure organizations working to strengthen cyber resilience, manage material cyber risks, and support their broader SOCI obligations, LevelBlue provides local expertise backed by global intelligence and the resources of a worldwide security operations network.
