The Australian defence supply chain faces a critical challenge following the Defence Strategic Review: the need to swiftly adapt to emerging regional threats. To address the demands for both speed and security, Defence is collaborating with military primes to implement highly secure cloud computing services.

The Traditional Challenge

Traditionally, this supply chain relied on legacy systems and on-premises infrastructure for its operations and data management. While these systems served their purpose, they are becoming outdated in the face of modern threats and the need for greater flexibility. The Australian defence sector recognises the necessity to modernise its operations.

Global Clouds have created risks for Defence suppliers by allowing data to be sent overseas, in breach of Defence requirements. Even worse, some Global Clouds have exited Defence markets, leaving the cloud investments of Defence CIOs stranded. Defence has unanswered questions about the supply chains of Global Clouds – they are not transparent and appear to have suppliers from untrusted nations.

Additionally, Defence projects in Air, Sea, or Land domains have undertaken the task of constructing and accrediting classified computing infrastructure. This resource-intensive process typically required at least six months and imposed significant costs.

Most importantly, computing is not the core business of most Defence suppliers, and DIY solutions have jeopardised large Defence contracts and tenders. Military Prime CIOs and CISOs have long sought solutions to this problem, but the IT industry has, until now, been unable to provide any viable alternatives to traditional methods.

Shifting Towards Cloud Computing

Australia’s defence supply chain is at the forefront of modernisation, with a strong commitment to adopting highly secure cloud computing. Prioritising data security and advanced security measures aims to enhance operational capabilities, agility, and information safeguarding. 

This transition underscores the necessity for organisations to proactively embrace innovation and modernisation to protect against evolving threats. Some organisations are already capitalising on these opportunities, while others risk lagging behind.

Myths about Cloud Computing for Military Primes

Several traditional beliefs held by CIOs and CISOs regarding Cloud vs. On-Premises computing for Military Primes have now been debunked. Among these myths:

• Myth: “We have to handle Defence classified data ourselves On-Premise – it isn’t as secure if it’s not under our control.”
  • Myth Busting: Vault Cloud specialises in managing Military-grade computing infrastructure to a level of security that is difficult to achieve and maintain for most Defence Primes. Vault has DISP2 certification and is more trusted by Defence than any other cloud. Vault already hosts over 20 Military Primes, and it has never been breached. Vault is the best of all worlds – more secure, more elastic, and less expensive than On-Premise IT.
• Myth: “I can’t use a Cloud Service Provider for our Defence work – Defence does not trust Clouds, and they will not trust us if we use one.”
  • Myth Busting: Defence uniquely trusts Vault. Vault is built for a purpose Military-Grade Australian Cloud. Defence has intimate knowledge of Vault’s security and architecture, and that transparency is a guarantee of trust.
• Myth: “I have a great IT Department, and I don’t want to outsource, so the Cloud won’t work for me.”
  • Myth Busting: Vault’s Cloud services can be consumed either as a Self-Managed Enclave serviced by your IT Department or as a Managed Enclave by your preferred Managed Service Provider or a Vault Partner, at High or Low Security levels.
• Myth: “We are a Large Global Military Prime – we are too big and complex for a small Australian Cloud to host – only On-Premise or Global Clouds can match our scale.”
  • Myth Busting: In the Highly Secure space, Vault has a larger Australian Compute capability than any Prime or any other Cloud. We store many Petabytes of sensitive data, and we host the single largest Secure Organisation that has fully moved to Cloud – Air Services Australia.
• Myth: “Cloud is more expensive than On-Premise computing – I have read numerous case studies and industry articles proving this.”
  • Myth Busting: Vault Cloud is much less expensive than any Defence approved On-Premise computing infrastructure. The case studies are about Global Cloud providers, who have had significant price increases in the last year.

Empowering Military Primes for the Future

This transformation empowers military primes to embrace cloud services while upholding Defence’s rigorous security standards. It also ensures the supply chain and military primes’ readiness for the future and underscores Australia’s commitment to national security in an interconnected world.

Vault Cloud’s Game-Changing Solution

Vault Cloud is revolutionising security standards, providing a path to higher levels of security, which reduces computing lead times and mitigating infrastructure risks. This transition offers operational efficiency, cost-effectiveness, risk reduction and reduced lead times for major projects.

Additionally, Vault Cloud securely repurposes the infrastructure for subsequent projects, improving efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and reducing environmental impact. This newfound agility, available within Highly Secure Environments, offers a competitive edge over peers using slow to deploy and expensive on-premise computing solutions. Traditionally, Primes have purchased all new Computing Hardware for each capability project they win, and then throw it out at the end with no reuse possible.

Leveraging Vault Cloud’s Highly Secure Cloud Computing

Security and compliance are paramount for all Defence suppliers, and Vault Cloud sets a new standard by delivering an unparalleled level of cloud security. Its track record attests to its unique methods for managing security risks, especially those stemming from Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs). Notably, Vault Cloud further enhances security by relying on open source software, eliminating the risk of proprietary Trojan Horse attacks.

In some cases, Military Primes may fully shift from on-premises infrastructure to relying solely on endpoints. Vault Cloud’s flexible solutions enable this transition, cutting costs and improving efficiency. Vault Cloud’s highly secure cloud aligns with the Australian Industry Capability Program, reinforcing its commitment to national sovereignty.

Conclusion

With over 20 Primes benefiting from Vault Cloud’s services, it is clear that Vault has become a transformative partner for enterprises within the Defence Supply Chain. Embracing Highly Secure Cloud services through Vault Cloud elevates operations and enhances security. Vault Cloud signifies a strategic advantage in Australia’s pursuit of highly secure cloud computing readiness.

Vault Cloud is your trusted partner, whether you’re looking to enhance security, achieve cost savings, or streamline delivery. With a range of government customers and key partners, Vault Cloud remains agile and ready to respond to regulatory or security changes, ensuring you’re always at the cutting edge of security and compliance.