NSW government showcases its Digital Identity program

NSW government | April 06, 2022

The NSW government has unveiled its Digital Identity program via a new website highlighting the vision its has to make government services and everyday tasks simpler, safer and more secure. 

NSW Government chief information and digital officer Greg Wells said the NSW Government was investing in the power of ideas to improve lives and ultimately, the future, and believes the NSW Government’s Digital Identity program would play a big role in delivering a modern, digital government for the customers of NSW. 

From retrieving benefits through the Digital Seniors Card to easily accessing digital licences through the Service NSW app, customers are already using digital identity credentials every day to prove their eligibility or to access a service.”

Greg Wells, NSW Government chief information and digital officer

“The NSW Government’s Digital Identity program will allow NSW customers to conduct a range of new transactions online, providing greater accessibility to government services and better support for customers with disabilities, and those in rural, regional or remote areas. 

“We want to safely and securely leverage technology to deliver smarter, faster and easier services for the benefit of NSW customers.”  

Mr Wells said privacy and security were of the utmost importance to the NSW Government. Oversharing of personal information and identity crime cost customers and the private sector more than $3.1 billion across Australia in 2018/19 as reported by ACIC.  

Wells said the NSW Government is implementing rigorous assurances to make sure customer information is safe and secure.

“The NSW Government’s Digital Identity program will provide customers with greater control of how and where their information is shared and enhanced privacy protection against identity fraud and theft associated with physical documents,” he said.

“The customer has been at the heart of every decision and will always be in control of any information they choose to share. Customers will choose to opt-in to Digital Identity programs, and ongoing consent will be required, meaning they can opt out at any time. An in-person option will always be provided via Service NSW Centres.” 

The NSW and Australian Governments are working closely together to explore the adoption of a national Digital Identity ecosystem, to ensure simple and seamless services for people accessing state-based services. This will deliver significant economic benefits for Australia and NSW and ensure residents get quick and easy access to the services they need.  

The NSW Government has allocated $2.1 billion to invest in digital transformation projects through its Digital Restart Fund. The fund is administered by the Department of Customer Service. It targets smart, simple technology solutions which create efficiencies for customers and businesses across the state.

Spotlight

More featured news

Spotlight

Related News

Emerging Technology, Cybersecurity

OwnBackup Achieves FedRAMP® Authorized Designation

Businesswire | July 20, 2023

OwnBackup, the leading SaaS data protection platform, today announced it has achieved FedRAMP® authorization for its OwnBackup Government Cloud solution. With this authorization, OwnBackup is now listed on the FedRAMP® Marketplace, and is eligible to provide data protection services to all U.S. Federal Government customers. Established in 2011, FedRAMP® is a government-wide program that promotes the adoption of secure Cloud services across the Federal Government, forming a public-private partnership to promote innovation and the advancement of more secure information technologies. By achieving FedRAMP® authorization, OwnBackup has demonstrated that it meets the rigorous security and compliance requirements of the program to host sensitive information in the Cloud. “FedRAMP® authorization is a significant milestone for OwnBackup, and reaffirms our position as the market leader in SaaS data protection,” said Sam Gutmann, Chief Executive Officer at OwnBackup. “This designation allows us to bring our best-in-class solutions to Federal Government agencies, partnering with these vital organizations to accelerate their digital transformation goals, while ensuring that critical Federal Data and Metadata remains secure.” OwnBackup’s FedRAMP® announcement comes at a time when the U.S. Government is making cybersecurity a clear priority. Earlier this year, the Biden-Harris Administration announced a new National Cybersecurity Strategy focused on strengthening the Nation's digital infrastructure, emphasizing the importance of Cloud security and resilience, and protecting citizens and businesses from cyber threats. While no individual or company is immune to cyber threats, these attacks disproportionately target the public sector. The public sector manages a wide array of sensitive information, making it a popular target for cyber criminals. According to Verizon’s 2022 Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR), the public sector had the second most attacks of any industry. With OwnBackup, U.S. Government Agencies can be better prepared to avoid disruption to critical services, ensure a continuity of operations, and uphold trust and confidence with the citizens that they serve. OwnBackup’s Data Protection Platform, which is used by over 6,000 customers across critical SaaS ecosystems, was designed with security in mind from its inception. OwnBackup’s solutions are architected with a variety of security controls across multiple tiers to address a range of security risks. About OwnBackup OwnBackup is a leading SaaS data protection platform for some of the largest SaaS ecosystems in the world, including Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics 365, and ServiceNow. Through capabilities like data security, backup and recovery, archiving, and sandbox seeding, OwnBackup empowers thousands of organizations worldwide to manage and protect the mission-critical data that drives their business. Co-founded by seasoned data recovery, data protection, and information security experts, OwnBackup is a trusted independent software vendor (ISV) partner on the Salesforce AppExchange, AWS Marketplace, and Microsoft Marketplace. The Company is headquartered in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, with research and development (R&D), support, and other functions in Israel, EMEA and APAC. OwnBackup has raised over $500 million in venture funding, is ranked on the Forbes Cloud 100 as one of the world's top private cloud companies, and is the partner of choice for some of the world’s largest users of SaaS applications.

Cybersecurity

The Virtru Data Security Platform Achieves FedRAMP Authorization

Globenewswire | August 11, 2023

Virtru, the global leader in data-centric security and privacy, today announced that the Virtru Data Security Platform received Authorization to Operate (ATO) at the Moderate level under theFederal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP®). This authorization was sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. TheVirtru Data Security Platformunderpins a holistic suite of data protection products that empower public- and private-sector organizations to scale data-centric security across sensitive data workflows. The Virtru platform first achieved FedRAMP ATO at the Moderate level in 2019, and since that time, Virtru has continued to expand the platform to provide the federal government and its contractors with secure encryption, access controls, and key management capabilities. This includes the addition ofVirtru Secure Share, an encrypted file-sharing solution that equips organizations to securely send and receive sensitive data while retaining complete, continuous control over that shared data, with data owners having the ability to revoke access at any time. “Federal organizations are realizing the urgent need for data-centric security, embracing strategies that enhance rather than impede the mission by prioritizing control and secure access to data at a granular level first, while also protecting the systems and networks that store and transmit it,” said Will Ackerly, co-founder and CTO, Virtru. “This includes the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), which recently announced its intent toimplement a data-centric frameworkto address rapidly emerging cybersecurity challenges, highlighting the value and urgency of data-centric security to enable mission success.” Ackerly added, “Virtru’s Data Security Platform gives federal organizations the critical foundations needed to execute against advanced data-centric cybersecurity strategies. The ATO was sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which utilized our Data Security Platform to control and govern sensitive data both in motion and at rest. Virtru’s FedRAMP Moderate ATO could not have come at a more critical time for our nation, and we look forward to our continued technology deployments for our federal customers.” Virtru’s FedRAMP Moderate authorization expedites procurement and solution authorization for Virtru’s federal customers. Additionally, the authorization validates the strength and trustworthiness of Virtru’s commercial solutions, which are built on the same robust and secure platforms that safeguard sensitive data flowing through email, file-sharing platforms, and SaaS apps. Virtru applications arealso compliant with FIPS 140-2, an encryption security requirement for cryptographic modules used by federal government agencies and contractors. These organizations can additionally leverage the FedRAMP-authorized Virtru Data Security Platform and suite of applications to improve security and meet compliance requirements, such as those outlined by the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC), the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS), and more. About Virtru At Virtru, we empower organizations to easily unlock the power of data while maintaining control everywhere it’s stored and shared. More than 8,000 global customers trust Virtru to power their data-centric, Zero Trust strategies and safeguard their most sensitive data in accordance with the world’s strictest security standards. Creators of TDF (Trusted Data Format), the open industry standard for persistent data protection, Virtru provides encryption technology for data shared through email, collaboration tools, cloud environments, and enterprise SaaS applications.

Emerging Technology

Carahsoft, Coalfire, and Google Public Sector Partner on FedRAMP® Accelerator to Enable SaaS Providers Selling into the Federal Government

PR Newswire | July 03, 2023

Cybersecurity pioneer Coalfire, IT solutions provider Carahsoft Technology Corp., and Google Public Sector have entered into a partnership to accelerate FedRAMP Authority to Operate (ATO) certification and public sector opportunities for customers deployed on Google Cloud. Coalfire's FedRAMP expertise and offerings will be bundled and delivered to Google Cloud's state, federal, and institutional clients by Carahsoft, one of the public sector's largest solution providers, and its ecosystem of reseller partners and systems integrators. "With the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program now the law of the land, achieving FedRAMP certification has quickly evolved from cost burden to exponential business opportunity," said Troy Bertram, managing director of Google Cloud's Public Sector Partner Ecosystem. "Whether or not our clients are selling into government markets or looking ahead to renewing contracts, Coalfire's disruptive services portfolio and ability to provide enterprise SaaS companies with FedRAMP advisory and assessment services that accelerate time to market is a mission-critical differentiator for government contractors." The collaboration enables Google Public Sector and Carahsoft clients to accelerate their digital transformation and enter new federal markets through Coalfire's FedRAMP advisory services. These offerings allow customers to quickly and cost-effectively understand gaps and build required architectures and documentation to achieve FedRAMP authorization, reducing the historically exorbitant financial barriers to entry that FedRAMP was known for. Once clients achieve ATO, they are positioned to sell across multiple agencies (not just one), and with the Coalfire/Google Public Sector/Carahsoft solution, clients retain ownership of all technology deliverables. "The FedRAMP roadmap leads to a threat-informed approach to risk management, and the FedRAMP Authorization Act passed in December of last year opens new opportunities for companies to test once and certify many times with reciprocity among agencies," said Carahsoft President Craig P. Abod. "From gap and desired architecture analysis to audit-ready, this partnership with Coalfire enables Carahsoft technology partners operating in Google Cloud to confidently accredit and deploy FedRAMP-compliant environments within an accelerated timeline. Carahsoft and its ecosystem of partners are excited for the opportunity to offer public sector customers a greater variety of FedRAMP-certified solutions deployed on Google Cloud to achieve their mission goals." "Bringing disruptive and cost-effective FedRAMP services to companies on or considering Google Cloud through channel leader Carahsoft now enables customers to accelerate or expand their sales opportunities with the federal government," said Coalfire CEO Tom McAndrew. "As a FedRAMP pioneer, we have a 100% pass rate on FedRAMP environments we've built. This partnership enables a faster, more cost-effective path for companies considering FedRAMP." Coalfire has a well-established relationship with Carahsoft and a long history of serving as the trusted FedRAMP auditor and assessment body for Google Cloud. "Whether required or not, FedRAMP is a business opportunity, and every cloud services and SaaS provider should have a FedRAMP strategy," said Jeff Rector, head of worldwide channels and partnerships at Coalfire. "We're excited to take this next step with Google Public Sector and Carahsoft as we work together to help our customers manage and monetize the FedRAMP opportunity." About Carahsoft Carahsoft Technology Corp. is The Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider®, supporting Public Sector organizations across Federal, State and Local Government agencies and Education and Healthcare markets. As the Master Government Aggregator® for our vendor partners, we deliver solutions for Cybersecurity, MultiCloud, DevSecOps, Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, Open Source, Customer Experience and more. Working with resellers, systems integrators and consultants, our sales and marketing teams provide industry leading IT products, services and training through hundreds of contract vehicles. Visit us at www.carahsoft.com About Coalfire The world's leading organizations – including the top five cloud service providers and leaders in financial services, healthcare, and retail – trust Coalfire to elevate their cyber programs and secure the future of their business. Number one in compliance, FedRAMP®, and cloud penetration testing, Coalfire is the world's largest firm dedicated to cybersecurity services, providing unparalleled technology-enabled professional and managed services. To learn more, visit Coalfire.com.