According to the federal government’s hosting certification framework, Google has become the newest cloud service provider to be authorised to transport sensitive public sector data and protected-level systems (HCF).
Overnight, Google Cloud announced that it has achieved “certified strategic” status, making it the eighth cloud provider to receive that designation.
The framework’s highest degree of assurance, certified strategic, necessitates that hosting companies and data centres agree to the government’s specifications for ownership and management.
In late 2021, Amazon Web Services, AUCloud, Sliced Tech, Vault Cloud, and Microsoft were all approved as recognised strategic vendors. Kyndryl, Oracle, and IBM were then added to the list this year.
The certification is also held by eight different suppliers of data centres, including AirTrunk, Australian Data Centres, Canberra Data Centres, DCI, Equinix, Fujitsu, Macquarie Telecom, and NEXTDC.
The lesser certification of “certified assurance,” which provides agencies with protections in the event that ownership controls or operations change, has not yet been attained by any providers.
Agencies can only host sensitive government data, whole-of-government systems, and systems graded to a protected-level with such providers, according to new guidelines that took effect this month.
In addition, Google Cloud, according to Dias, “maintains an IRAP accreditation, confirming that [its] security procedures comply with the standards established by the… Australia Cyber Security Centre.”
28 data centre and cloud providers are currently awaiting certification under the whole-of-government HCF as a result of Google’s inclusion on the list of HCF providers.
As was made known by iTnews earlier this week, the backlog has led to the creation of a last-minute exemption clause that permits agencies to request the use of providers who have not yet been certified.
The DTA has so far approved an exemption requested by one unnamed agency. The exemption shall be in effect for at least a year.
