Cenitex sets trust benchmark for Victorian Government data security

Victorian Government ICT shared services provider Cenitex has leveraged state of the art Microsoft Azure cloud services to develop VicCloud Protect, a ground-breaking and highly secure service that enables its customers to safely manage applications and data rated up to Protected level.

Developed in association with Microsoft Australia and partner oobe, VicCloud Protect incorporating Perimeta for Azure, is now available for Cenitex customers and represents the highest security level a shared government service provider has been able to offer to date.

According to Cenitex Service Delivery Director Nigel Cadywould, “VicCloud Protect is a first for the Victorian Government and our customers can now confidently store their classified data in the cloud with peace of mind that the platform meets both the Australian Cyber Security Centre guidelines and the Victorian Protection Data Security Framework to handle Protected level information.”

“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.”

VicCloud Protect provides up to Protected level controls for business and application data hosting, giving much needed flexibility to Victorian Public Sector employees who can access the information they need without compromising security.

Working with customers, Cenitex will use VicCloud Protect to quickly and simply deploy individual workloads or subscriptions in Azure, whilst adhering to corporate and government policies. Integration with customers’ existing, and future, IT infrastructure is streamlined and assured.

Lee Hickin, National Technology Officer (CTO), Microsoft Australia said that with the release of VicCloud Protect, Cenitex will be setting a new high standard for security in Victorian Government departments and agencies. “Microsoft was the first global cloud provider to be awarded Certification for Protected classification in Australia and with the investment of our AUCentral regions, will continue to offer the highest level of assurance possible to Australian customers. Leveraging that capability has allowed Cenitex to innovate and develop a new generation of secure services for its clients, that in turn has the capacity to provide innovative new services for all Victorians.

From within Microsoft Azure, VicCloud Protect can host workloads from unofficial/unclassified all the way up to PROTECTED classification. . We have worked closely with Cenitex to help develop clearly defined policies, controls and standards to ensure that ongoing monitoring and compliance are clear and simple.

oobe CEO, Stuart Kilduff, said “We’re excited to see oobe’s ‘Perimeta for Azure’ underpin VicCloud Protect. This, together with our existing federal government customers, is another significant vote of confidence in the solution. 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 Victorian government agencies tap into Microsoft’s hyperscale cloud whilst enhancing their security posture.

The VicCloud Protect platform will enable Cenitex customers to confidently deploy solutions knowing that trusted controls, processes and automation protects the security and integrity of their systems and data in the cloud. It will provide a trusted innovation platform for an entire new class of secure, digital, cloud-based government services.