Macquarie Cloud Services Protects Australian Health Data with Government-Grade Cyber Security

Australians’ sensitive health information will be protected to the same high cyber security standards required by Government agencies even when stored in private clouds, thanks to a new service launched today by Macquarie Cloud Services.

Macquarie Cloud Services, a division of Macquarie Technology Group, has developed Macquarie Launch™ Health Cloud to ensure Australians can benefit from easy and convenient access to Government health services using digital technologies without compromising the security of their private information.

Macquarie Launch™ Health Cloud is a secure private cloud which has been purpose-build for the healthcare sector. Its features include:

• All data to remain onshore;
• All data to be in a physically separated cloud, dedicated to Australian health system data;
• Only Macquarie staff who have been cleared by Australian Government security processes will have access to the data
• Data will be stored on ASD accredited CCSL cloud infrastructure.

The purpose of Health Cloud.

Macquarie Launch™ Health Cloud was developed in response to a policy decision by the Department of Human Services (DHS) designed to protect the integrity of people’s data entrusted to the Department. The DHS policy applies to third-party software connecting with the Department to deliver online services, such as electronic claims payments for Medicare.

These cloud environments connecting to the Department’s ICT systems are now mandated to meet the same standards of accreditation of those the Department applies to itself.

“This is a great example of leadership by a Government agency, and of the way organisations with a good understanding of cyber security can drive change beyond their own business,” James Mystakidis, Group Executive, Macquarie Cloud Services, said. “Through the updated policy, the DHS is demonstrating how it is possible to transform ICT while at the same time elevating cyber security standards.“This is particularly relevant as there has been a lot of talk about how supply chains can create cyber security risks. This is an example of how the Government can use its supply chains to push secure transformation through an industry,” Mystakidis said.

Macquarie’s ‘built-for-government’ secure cloud was designed from the ground up to meet the most rigorous security requirements.
It has achieved the ‘gold standard’ accreditation for security by being listed in the Certified Cloud Services List (CCSL), controlled by the Australian Signals Directorate, Australia’s leading cyber security authority.

This same infrastructure will now be available to private health sector providers.

“This means that Australians will – for the first time – be able to be assured their data moving from a health software company’s cloud services into the Medicare system will be protected end-to-end to the same standard,” Mystakidis said.

“The health system is a case study of an industry delivering an essential service, but which is widely dispersed across private and public organisations of many sizes in many places.

“Private data in such situations is only as secure as the weakest link in the chain.”

Need more information about Macquarie Launch™ Health Cloud? Visit this page or talk to one of our cloud services experts via phone call or email.

Media Contact:

David Forman
0438121114