Australian Government Partners with AWS on $2bn Classified Cloud Infrastructure Deal

A high-security cloud infrastructure is being set up by AWS for the Australian government. This facility, the 'TS Cloud', will hold Australia's defence and intelligence data. The project, costing $2 billion over the next ten years, aims to improve Australia's cyber abilities. The Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and the Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marle, announced this in a joint statement.

The TS Cloud is specially designed for Australian defence and national intelligence community agencies. They will use it to store, share and run detailed analysis of the country's classified data. This facility would increase Defence's communication networks' resilience and improve collaboration with the US.

AWS was chosen for its experience in managing classified cloud services and its long-established presence in Australia. Australian businesses are also expected to contribute in building the TS Cloud, although the specific roles are unclear.

Rachel Noble, Director-General, Australian Signals Directorate, believes the TS Cloud will be crucial to boost intelligence and cyber capabilities. Simultaneously, Dave Levy, Vice President of AWS's worldwide public sector, expressed enthusiasm about the strategic partnership with the Australian government.

In the US, a similar secret cloud is under construction by four providers, including AWS. An initial version of the project was awarded to Microsoft before being scrapped.

- CyberBeat