Government to invest $2b in Amazon Web Services to bolster cyber capabilities
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The news: The federal government will invest at least $2 billion over the next decade to bolster Australia's cyber capabilities, through a new strategic partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS).
The numbers: The partnership will see AWS establish a sovereign Top Secret (TS) Cloud in Australia to deliver resilient information, communication and technology services for the Australian government, generating up to 2,000 local jobs.
The investment is part of the $15 billion to $20 billion allocated by the government until 2033-34 to enhance the Department of Defence's cyber capabilities, and the $8.5 billion to $11 billion ring-fenced to bolster the department's enterprise data and technology over the same timeframe.
The TS Cloud builds on AWS' planned $13.2 billion investment in Australian infrastructure until 2027, the largest tech investment in Australia's history, in addition to the $9.1 billion the Amazon subsidiary has invested in Australian infrastructure since its launch in 2011.
The context: The government said the TS Cloud will be purpose-built for Australia's Defence and National Intelligence Community agencies to securely host the country's most sensitive information.
It will also improve the government's ability to securely share and analyse the most classified data at speed and scale, providing opportunities to harness leading technologies including artificial intelligence and machine learning.
The TS Cloud will also bolster the resilience of Defence’s communication networks, and support the Australian Defence Force’s military operations, as well as enabling greater interoperability and deeper collaboration with the US.
What they said: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said: “My Government is bolstering our defence and national intelligence community to ensure they can deliver world leading protection for our nation".
“We face a range of complex and serious security challenges and I am incredibly proud of the work our national security agencies undertake on a daily basis to keep Australians safe,” he said. “We must never underestimate their value and importance. That is what this investment today is about.”
AWS' vice president for worldwide public sector, Dave Levy, said: “Amazon Web Services is excited to embark on this strategic partnership with the Australian Government, to provide our most innovative, efficient and effective cloud services to help Australia enhance its national defence capabilities and protect its citizens.”
“This partnership will enable the Australian Government and its defence and intelligence agencies to securely share information, speed up innovation, and achieve their missions faster,” Levy said.
The sources: PMO media release, AWS blog
