New $2 Billion ‘Cloud’ for Defence and Security Agencies to Be Air-Gapped

The Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) is partnering with Amazon Web Services to set up a cloud that will allow various defence and security agencies to access top-secret and classified data more easily and with less risk. The project, which is expected to be operational by 2027, will cost $2 billion (US$1.3 billion) in establishment, ongoing maintenance, and usage costs ($1.34 billion). Exactly what data will be uploaded to the cloud is still to be determined, and some top-secret information will still be stored at existing ASD sites. Everyone involved with the building and operation of the project will need to meet Australian security clearance requirements....