AWS Government Competency: Upholding public trust without sacrificing cloud innovation

The road to digital transformation is more difficult for government agencies. They face stringent regulations, are appealing targets for cybersecurity threats, and are often behind the curve regarding modern IT infrastructure. The stakes are high, but the pace of change and number of available options are limited.

Limited—but not absent. As a leading cloud provider, Amazon Web Services (AWS) endorses qualified service providers through its AWS Government Competency Partner program. OnX, an experienced cloud services integrator for Canadian government entities, is the ideal partner for agencies seeking to modernize securely and responsibly.

The rigorous standards of AWS Government Competency partnership

Membership in the AWS Government Competency partner program is for solutions providers with a track record of successfully empowering government entities through cloud technology while respecting strict compliance obligations. Partners operate across a wide range of specialties and are practiced in considering factors such as budgets, government mandates, and operational efficiency.

OnX is an AWS Advanced Consulting Partner for public sector organizations, boasting more than 50 AWS certifications. As the authorized AWS reseller to the Government of Ontario, we facilitated the provincial government’s transition to the public cloud, with all the benefits that transformation entails.

Building on an AWS Well-Architected Framework

OnX is a member of the AWS Well-Architected Partner Program. The Well-Architected Framework is a suite of best practices that form the foundation of the highest-quality AWS solutions, ensuring competency, stability, responsiveness, and adaptability. The framework relies on six pillars:

1. Operational excellence: Daily processes execute reliably and are monitored for continuous improvement.
2. Security: Mission-critical systems and sensitive data are protected from threats with appropriate permissions and detection capabilities.
3. Reliability: Workloads execute as planned, and the system can adapt and recover when demands change.
4. Performance efficiency: Computing resource allocations are continuously optimized according to business needs.
5. Cost optimization: Costs are right-sized for business needs and regularly reevaluated.
6. Sustainability: Workloads are designed for high efficiency to reduce environmental impact.

<strong>Read more: <a href="/blog/strategies-for-secure-cloud-migration-with-aws-managed-services">Strategies for secure cloud migration with AWS managed services</a></strong>

Cloud migration demands robust cybersecurity for government entities

Canada’s federal government has recognized the potential for cloud technologies to transform the capabilities of government organizations. However, migrating to the Cloud exposes new attack surfaces for threat actors to exploit. Accordingly, the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security has issued official guidance for government agencies on securing cloud platforms, recognizing the unprecedented nature of cloud cybersecurity risks and vulnerabilities.

While prevention is still a key priority, it is generally understood that most private and public organizations will eventually face a breach due to the sheer scale and sophistication of the modern cyber threat landscape. This is especially true for entities as high-profile and sensitive as government agencies. Employing risk-management best practices and partnering with an expert solutions provider like OnX helps minimize the scale and impact of potential breaches.

AWS’s cloud offerings have passed rigorous technical review against security requirements set by the Government of Canada. In addition, the platform incorporates the AWS Secure Environment Accelerator, a tool that automates the deployment of architectures secured according to government standards, creating a fast, flexible foundation for the cloud transformation of government agencies.

OnX also incorporates a variety of cloud security best practices into the services it provides for government clients, such as:

• Zero-trust network architecture: An approach based on continuous verification of identity and access.
• Secure access service edge: A suite of integrated security tools that protect and optimize cloud performance.
• Managed security services: Intelligent round-the-clock monitoring, both automated and human, of network resources and rapid threat response.
• Data protection certifications: Including PCI DSS 3.2, SOC2 Type II, SSAE18 SOC1 Type II, and HIPAA HITECH.

OnX paves the way to modern cloud solutions.

With decades of experience in cloud implementations and a track record of success supporting government entities, OnX is the ideal partner for Canadian agencies seeking to modernize. AWS Government Competency and Well-Architected partnerships illustrate OnX’s long-standing effectiveness and expertise with the AWS platform.

Develop complete AWS migration roadmaps and implement cloud solutions efficiently, securely, and responsibly with assistance from OnX. Contact OnX today to begin strategizing your government agency’s cloud transformation.