A new cloud technology platform has been launched to support applications and data for the Victorian government.
ICT service CenITex — which sits within the Department of Treasury and Finance portfolio — has said VicCloud Protect is their most secure cloud technology platform to date.
According to CenITex, the platform is the first of its kind for Victoria, offering secure cloud-hosting controls that comply with the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD), the Australian Cyber Security Centre guidelines, and the Victorian Protective Data Security Framework controls for up to “Protected” level platform configuration. This level of certification is currently the highest security level approved by the ASD on its Certified Cloud Services List.
VicCloud Protect was developed in collaboration with Microsoft and oobe, and is hosted within the Azure platform.
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Stuart Kilduff, oobe CEO, said the collaboration was a “vote of confidence” in oobe’s “Perimata for Azure” solution, which lets organisations deploy individual workspaces in Azure, while upholding pre-existing policies. It was designed to meet the security and legal requirements placed on highly regulated organisations, and in this case, governments.
“We’ve seen a spike in the uptake of cloud services across both federal and state government since Microsoft received Protected-level status for Azure in Australia, and Cenitex is now leading the way, helping the Victorian Government tap into Microsoft’s hyperscale cloud whilst enhancing their security posture,” Kilduff said.
The service supports Victoria’s vision for “secure and resilient government information, services, and infrastructure”, according to CenITex.
“VicCloud Protect offers cost-effective additional security to existing workloads, offering flexibility without compromising security and promoting service innovation while protecting data integrity. It is an important part of our ongoing commitment to a secure, efficient and modern digital government for Victoria,” CenITex Service Delivery Director, Nigel Cadywould, said.
The state’s IT service has experienced multiple bumps since its creation in 2008. In 2012, the agency was criticised for paying IT contractors up to $1000 a day, while allowing poor IT services to be delivered to public servants.
The agency has faced attempts to privatise, outsource and dismantle its services, ending with a 2015 efficiency review which recommended CenITex revert back to a government service.
Earlier this year, it was revealed that roughly 140 of its jobs would be slashed or reduced as part of a restructure.
CenITex boss, Michael Vanderheide, justified the restructure via a staff bulletin. He said new software would be introduced that was less complex, more reliable and “therefore requires fewer people to support it”, according to the Age.
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