Australian govt partners with AWS and ASD in Top Secret cloud deal

A strategic partnership between the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) and Amazon Web Services (AWS) in Australia has been inked to deliver a Top Secret (TS) Cloud for the Australian Government.

Prime Minister Albanese said this landmark partnership would see AWS establish a sovereign TS Cloud in Australia to deliver resilient information, communication, and technology (ICT) services for the Australian Government, generating up to 2,000 local Australian jobs.

The Albanese Government plans to invest about $2 billion over the next decade to bolster Australia’s cyber capabilities.

The TS Cloud will be purpose-built for Australia’s Defence and National Intelligence Community agencies to securely host our country’s most sensitive information and bolster the resilience of defence’s communications networks.

This critical capability will enable the Australian Defence Force’s military operations and support greater interoperability and deeper collaboration with the United States.

“We face a range of complex and serious security challenges, and I am incredibly proud of the work our national security agencies undertake daily to keep Australians safe. We must never underestimate their value and importance. That is what this investment today is about,” said Albanese.

This significant investment is part of the $15‑20 billion to 2033-34 to enhance defence’s cyber capabilities and the $8.5-11 billion to 2033-34 to bolster defence’s enterprise data and ICT announced in the 2024 Integrated Investment Program.

The joint initiative offers significant opportunities for the Australian industry. AWS will engage Australian businesses to design and build the TS Cloud, driving innovation and job creation in cybersecurity, data analytics, and cloud computing. Australia’s defence industry will benefit from new opportunities to deliver and integrate new capabilities using these cloud services.

The TS Cloud builds on AWS’ planned $13.2 billion investment in Australian infrastructure through 2027—the largest tech investment in Australia’s history, supporting the creation of 11,000 local jobs.

Rachel Noble, director-general of the Australian signals directorate, said this is in addition to the $9.1 billion AWS has invested in Australian infrastructure since its launch in 2011.

“For ASD, this capability is a vital part of our REDSPICE program, which is lifting our intelligence and offensive and defensive cyber capabilities,” she said.