AWS Opens Secret Cloud for Defense

AWS Secret Cloud for Industry allows cleared defense contractors to run classified workloads on AWS, backed by a $20M accelerator program.

AWS logo with abstract cloud graphics.
AWS is extending its cloud services to the defense sector.· Amazon News
Visual TL;DR
Defense contractors' old systemsDriver
From the article 5 mentionsThis move aims to bypass the traditional, capital-intensive requirement for contractors to build and manage their own on-premises classified systems, a process that often hinders rapid adoption of modern technologies like generative AI.
AWS Secret CloudCore
From the article 3 mentionsAmazon Web Services (AWS) has launched AWS Secret Cloud for Industry (ASCI), a managed service designed to let cleared U.S. defense contractors and related organizations run their own classified workloads directly on AWS infrastructure.
Provisional Authorization IL6Context
meets standards for Secret-classified information from DISA
From the articleThe new offering holds Provisional Authorization at Impact Level 6 from the Defense Information Systems Agency, meeting standards for Secret-classified information.
$20M Accelerator ProgramEffect
supports adoption and innovation for defense contractors
From the articleAWS is backing the initiative with an accelerator program, offering up to $20 million in credits.
Northrop Grumman FirstCore
From the article 2 mentionsNorthrop Grumman is the first defense contractor to deploy classified workloads using ASCI.
Accelerating Defense InnovationEffect
bypasses capital-intensive on-premises classified system requirements
From the articleThis service aligns with broader U.S. defense strategies focused on modernizing acquisitions and fostering speed and innovation within the defense industrial base.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) has launched AWS Secret Cloud for Industry (ASCI), a managed service designed to let cleared U.S. defense contractors and related organizations run their own classified workloads directly on AWS infrastructure. This move aims to bypass the traditional, capital-intensive requirement for contractors to build and manage their own on-premises classified systems, a process that often hinders rapid adoption of modern technologies like generative AI.

The new offering holds Provisional Authorization at Impact Level 6 from the Defense Information Systems Agency, meeting standards for Secret-classified information. AWS guides organizations through the necessary authorization and network connection processes, ensuring compliance with existing frameworks.

Northrop Grumman Leads the Way

Northrop Grumman is the first defense contractor to deploy classified workloads using ASCI. Previously, setting up such a workload in the AWS Secret-East Region would have involved months of hardware procurement and facility setup.

"Migrating our critical classified programs to the AWS Secret Cloud for Industry solution fundamentally changes how we develop and scale sensitive programs at speed," stated Drew Barnes, VP of IT infrastructure and operations at Northrop Grumman.

Accelerating Defense Innovation

AWS is backing the initiative with an accelerator program, offering up to $20 million in credits. This fund is intended to help defense industrial base companies, research centers, and system integrators migrate their classified workloads to the cloud.

This service aligns with broader U.S. defense strategies focused on modernizing acquisitions and fostering speed and innovation within the defense industrial base.

AWS Secret Cloud for Industry is currently available in the AWS Secret-East Region. The service is open to eligible organizations operating under Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) oversight. You can read more about the announcement on Amazon News.

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Daniel Singer

Written by

Daniel Singer

Editor, StartupHub.ai

Daniel Singer is the editor of StartupHub.ai, a technology expert and thought leader on AI and its applications across sectors, from fintech and healthcare to developer tooling and consumer software. He writes and tests the tools covered here thoroughly and regularly, and built StartupHub.ai to give founders, operators and buyers a clearer read on what they are actually being sold.