Call For Paper

The 8th International Conference on Machine Learning for Cyber Security (ML4CS 2026) seeks submissions presenting novel contributions related to all theoretical and practical aspects related to Machine learning/AI and Cybersecurity research. The aim of ML4CS is to provide a leading-edge forum to foster interaction between researchers and developers with the cybersecurity and AI communities, and to give attendees an opportunity to interact with experts in academia, industry, and governments. Authors of each accepted paper must ensure that at least one author registers for the conference, and that the paper is presented at the conference.
Since the first ML4CS held in Melbourne 2018, ML4CS has been successfully held in: Xi’an, China (2019), and Guangzhou, China (2020 and 2022). Nadi, Fiji (2023), and Hangzhou, China (2024 and 2025). This year we have ML4CS held in the beautiful Fiji.

Topics of interest include but are not limited to:

• Machine learning/AI for:
  • network security
  • system security
  • software security
  • hardware security
  • cyber physical systems security
  • blockchains and distributed ledger security
  • cloud computing security
  • threat intelligence and detection
  • cybersecurity situational awareness
  • data security and privacy
  • cybersecurity forensic analysis
  • the analysis of (cyber)crime, e.g., biometrics, deepfakes
  • IoT and Industry 4.0/5.0
  • vulnerability analysis and penetration testing
  • malware, anomaly, and intrusion detection
• Adversarial machine learning
• Robustness of AI models against malicious actions
• Privacy inference attacks against deep learning systems, e.g., membership inference, model extraction, model inversion
• Security and privacy in on-device deep learning systems and applications
• Security and privacy in social networks
• Big data analytics for security
• Interpretability and Explainability of machine learning models in cybersecurity
• Privacy preserving machine learning and data mining
• Trustworthy machine learning
• Deep learning for automated recognition of novel threats
• Graph representation learning in cybersecurity
• Informed machine learning for cybersecurity
• User and entity behaviour modelling and analysis
• Human-centered security and privacy
• Content-driven security policy management & access control
• Hate, harassment, and online abuse
• Generative AI and LLMs for cybersecurity
• Security and safety of generative AI
• Security and privacy of AI agents
• AI governance, regulation, compliance and ethics in cybersecurity

Special Track: Vision Track

This track is designed for invited submissions led by senior cybersecurity researchers and leaders from academia, government, and industry. It aims to provide an environment for:

• Sharing visionary and forward-looking ideas at the intersection of AI/ML and cybersecurity
• Building new networks and strengthening collaboration across Pacific-Asia and beyond
• Identifying emerging research challenges and exploring new funding opportunities
• Discussing research translation priorities and community needs

Please note the Vision Track has the following additional requirements:

• At least one primary author must be a Professor, Associate Professor, or equivalent (academic/industry). This author must attend and present the paper in person.
• The paper may have other authors at any career stage.
• Submissions will undergo light-touch review to provide constructive feedback.
• The paper must include a clear visionary element (e.g., an agenda, roadmap, or new research direction).
• Accepted Vision Track papers will be presented during the Vision Track sessions at ML4CS 2026.

Paper Submission Information

Authors are invited to submit original papers: they must not substantially duplicate work that any of the authors have published elsewhere or have submitted in parallel to any other conferences that have proceedings or any journal. The submission must be anonymous, with no author names, affiliations, acknowledgements, or obvious references. Original contributions are invited up to 16 pages in length (single column) excluding appendices and bibliography and up to 20 pages in total, using at least 11-point fonts and with reasonable margins. Submissions not meeting the submission guidelines risk rejection without consideration of their merits. All submissions must be received by 11:59 PM AoE (UTC-12) on the day of the corresponding deadline.
We will publish our proceedings with Springer as a volume of the Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS) series. Author instructions and LaTeX/Word templates for LNCS publications can be found via the following link.

Springer LNCS Author Information

ML4CS 2026 Submission Link

Please note that at least one author of each accepted paper should register with full rate to the conference and give a presentation at the conference. Failure to register or absence from the presentation will eventually make your paper NOT being included in the conference proceedings.

The proceedings of ML4CS 2026 will be published by Springer as a post-proceedings volume of the Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS) series, and indexed by EI Compendex. See Springer LNCS Post-Proceedings Final Submission below for the final submission instructions.

The previous edition of ML4CS proceedings on SpringerLink can be accessd through the following links.

Springer LNCS Post-Proceedings Final Submission

ML4CS 2026 has been formally accepted for publication as a post-proceedings volume in Springer's Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS) series.

The camera-ready materials submitted on 17 June 2026 were used only for conference preparation and presentation. Now that the conference has taken place and Springer has confirmed the LNCS post-proceedings publication, all authors of accepted papers must update their existing EasyChair submission with the final publication materials below. Please do not create a new submission — update the existing record of your accepted paper.

The final paper must remain substantially consistent with the accepted contribution and within the scope of ML4CS 2026.

Important Changes from the Camera-Ready Submission

This post-proceedings submission requires additional and updated materials compared with the camera-ready stage:

1. Complete source files are now required (in addition to the PDF).
2. A newly signed Licence-to-Publish form is required for every paper. The form used before the conference cannot be reused, even if you have already signed and submitted it — see the important note below.
3. Each paper must designate one corresponding author only.
4. Every paper must include a Disclosure of Interests statement. This is a mandatory Springer requirement. Many camera-ready papers did not include it, so please make sure it is added to the final version — see Preparing the Final Paper → 6. Disclosure of Interests.

Preparing the Final Paper

1. Springer LNCS Template

The final paper must use the official Springer LNCS proceedings template (LaTeX), as used for the initial and camera-ready submissions. Please ensure the paper fully complies with the template and that the source files generate exactly the same content as the final PDF.

Springer LNCS Author Information and Templates

2. Author Information

The final paper must include complete and correct author names, author order, affiliations, and email addresses. This information must be consistent across the final paper, EasyChair, the source files, and the Licence-to-Publish form.

Authors may not be added, removed, or reordered without prior approval from the Program Chairs. Once the final materials are delivered to Springer, the author list, author order, and corresponding author can no longer be changed.

3. One Corresponding Author

Each paper must designate one corresponding author only.

Springer's publication workflow and the Licence-to-Publish form require a single corresponding author per paper. If your paper currently lists more than one, please choose one person and update the paper accordingly.

The same individual must be identified as the corresponding author in the final paper, the Licence-to-Publish form, and the EasyChair submission. This person must:

• be clearly marked in the paper header (e.g., an envelope symbol or asterisk), with their email address included (mandatory);
• have the authority of all co-authors to sign the Licence-to-Publish form on their behalf; and
• be reachable during production to check the final proof (Springer normally allows about 72 hours), so please use an actively monitored email address.

The corresponding author cannot be changed once the files are delivered to Springer.

4. ORCID

Authors are strongly encouraged to include their ORCID identifiers in the paper header, in superscript next to their names, following the Springer LNCS template.

5. Figures, Tables, and Equations

Please ensure that: all figures and tables are legible and cross-referenced in the text; figure captions appear below figures and table captions above tables; tables and equations remain editable (not inserted as images); no color is used in text, tables, or equations; colored figures remain understandable in black and white; and vector graphics are used for diagrams wherever possible.

6. Disclosure of Interests (required)

Springer requires every paper to include a Disclosure of Interests statement. This is mandatory: a paper without it cannot be published, and any paper missing the statement will be returned to the authors for correction. Many camera-ready versions did not include this statement — please make sure it is added to your final paper.

Place the statement as a third-level heading in 9-point font, immediately after the (optional) Acknowledgments and before the References. Authors with no competing interests should add exactly the following:

Disclosure of Interests. The authors have no competing interests to declare that are relevant to the content of this article.

If competing interests do exist, they must be declared explicitly (e.g., research grants, speaker honoraria, stock ownership, or committee membership).

7. Final Checks

Before submitting, please confirm that:

• the paper is final and complete;
• every reference cited appears in the reference list, and vice versa;
• all copyright and third-party permission issues have been resolved;
• the source files generate the same content as the final PDF;
• no page numbers or running heads have been added manually (Springer inserts these);
• no old, duplicate, or unnecessary files are included in the source package;
• the title, author list, and author order are consistent across all materials;
• the paper includes a Disclosure of Interests statement (after the acknowledgments, before the references);
• only one corresponding author is identified, and the same person appears in the paper, EasyChair, and the Licence-to-Publish form; and
• the new Springer Nature Singapore Licence-to-Publish form has replaced the form submitted at the camera-ready stage.

Authors must also comply with the Springer Nature Code of Conduct for Book Authors.

Submission via EasyChair

Log in to the existing ML4CS 2026 EasyChair system and open your accepted paper:

1. Click the "View" icon for the accepted submission.
2. Select "Add or Update Files".
3. Upload all three files listed below.

The newly uploaded files replace your previous camera-ready materials. Please make sure all three are updated — in particular, the previous Licence-to-Publish form must be replaced with the new Springer Nature Singapore form. Please do not create a new submission.

Required Files

1. Final Springer LNCS Paper — PDF

Upload the final paper as a PDF that uses the LNCS template, contains complete author and affiliation information, identifies and clearly marks a single corresponding author (with email), includes the Disclosure of Interests statement, and corresponds exactly to the submitted source files.

Suggested filename: PaperID_Final.pdf

2. Complete Source Files — ZIP

Upload one ZIP archive containing all files needed to reproduce the final PDF. For LaTeX papers this must include:

• all .tex files;
• all figures and image files (e.g., .eps, .pdf, .png);
• the .bbl file for the references (please include the .bbl to avoid loss of reference data during conversion; the .bib file may also be included); and
• any non-standard style or class files required to compile.

The package must compile successfully and generate content consistent with the final PDF. Please do not include .docm files or any older/redundant versions, and use short, clear filenames.

Suggested filename: PaperID_Source.zip

3. New Signed Springer Nature Singapore Licence-to-Publish Form — PDF

A new Licence-to-Publish form is mandatory for every paper. The form submitted at the camera-ready stage cannot be reused.

Springer has provided ML4CS 2026 with an updated Licence-to-Publish form issued by Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. The form used at the camera-ready stage was issued by a different Springer Nature entity (Springer Nature Switzerland AG) and is not valid for this publication. Every paper must therefore complete, sign, and upload the new form below — even if a signed form was already submitted before the conference.

Download the New ML4CS 2026 Licence-to-Publish Form (Springer Nature Singapore)

Please note:

1. Use only the new form linked above. Do not reuse or re-upload the form from the camera-ready stage. (Reminder: the two versions look identical apart from the Licensee and Governing Law text — check for Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. and the laws of the Republic of Singapore.)
2. One form is required per paper, and only one person may be entered in the "Corresponding Author Name" field.
3. The corresponding author completes and signs the form on behalf of all authors, and must be the same person marked as the sole corresponding author in the final paper.
4. The paper title, full author list, and author order on the form must exactly match the final paper.
5. The form must be printed, signed by hand, and scanned as a PDF — digital signatures are not accepted.
6. Please leave "Edition ID" and "PS" blank.
7. Upload the newly signed form to the Licence-to-Publish field in EasyChair, replacing the previous form.

Suggested filename: PaperID_LTP_Singapore.pdf

Important Publication Notice

Only complete submissions containing all three required files can be processed for the Springer LNCS post-proceedings. The Program Chairs may contact authors if any of the following are found:

• missing or incomplete files;
• formatting problems, or source files that do not reproduce the submitted PDF;
• inconsistent author information, more than one corresponding author, or a mismatch between the corresponding author in the paper and on the form;
• an incomplete or incorrectly signed form, or use of the previous (Switzerland) form instead of the new Singapore form;
• a missing Disclosure of Interests statement;
• language-quality concerns; or
• similarity or publication-ethics concerns.

Failure to submit complete and compliant final materials by the deadline may result in the paper not being included in the Springer LNCS proceedings.

Camera-Ready Paper Submission (closed)

Journal Recommendations

Selected papers presented at the ML4CS 2026 will be invited to consider submission (after significant extension) for special issues or topical selections in the following journals:

More journal special issues or topical selections will be announced soon.