Credit: Dreamstime
Three data centre providers have been certified by the Digital Transformation Agency (DTA) under the federal government’s hosting certification framework.
The certification means NextDC, Equinix and Fujitsu Australia will now be able to host protected-level public sector data.
They now join Canberra Data Centres (CDC), Macquarie Telecom and Australian Data Centres (ADC), which were certified in June.
As of June 2021, all relevant government data under the Hosting Certification Framework can only be stored in Certified Assured or Certified Strategic data centres.
Equinix now has its CA1, SY3, SY4, SY5, SY6, SY7, PE2 and ME4 centres certified, as well as Fujitsu Australia’s Western Sydney and Homebush centres.
NextDC’s Perth 1 and 2, Sydney 1 and 2, Melbourne 1 and 2, Brisbane 1 and 2, and Canberra 1 are now also classed as Certified Strategic.
The DTA originally invited partners to apply for the new certifications back in March this year. Partners who do not apply for certification will be classed as “uncertified” but will still be able to work with agencies within “specific settings if their risk assessment determines it is appropriate for them to do so”.
“Equinix understands and welcomes the need for clear and transparent whole-of-government outsourcing arrangements in respect of data centre service providers, whilst ensuring Australia remains a competitive, global digital economy,” the company’s Australia managing director Guy Danskine said.
“Equinix has many certified, densely connected, highly secure IBX facilities in key metros across Sydney, Canberra, Perth and Melbourne and has been a data centre provider to the Commonwealth and state governments for many years under previous hosting panels.”
Meanwhile, NextDC’s chief customer and commercial officer David Dzienciol added that government agencies manage some of the “most sensitive information in existence”.
“The risks associated with data breaches caused by human error and malicious activity is evolving daily,” he added. “We are proud to be one of very few data centre operators that are strategically positioned to achieve the highest level of certification under the Australian federal government’s Hosting Certification Framework.”
