Deliver Protected Public Sector Services to Citizens with AWS Security and F5
Many public sector organizations are digitizing their operations by building and running applications to deliver timely and efficient services to citizens. The cloud is at the core of this transformation, as most (88%) of U.S. State CIOs are expediting cloud adoption across operational domains.1 Meanwhile, cloud computing is a significant component of the European Commission’s Digital Europe Programme, in which leaders are investing over €900 million to help bring digital technology to businesses, citizens, and public administrations.2
Given the critical nature of their data and the enormous funds flowing through their systems, public sector cloud infrastructure and applications are prime targets for cybercriminals seeking to cause havoc and perpetrate fraud. These sophisticated cyber threats are unrelenting, as a majority (55%) of surveyed U.S. state and local government workers believe fraud activity will continue to increase over the next two years.3
With 94% of state email and calendar services hosted in the cloud, ensuring the security of those sensitive communications and the data they contain is critical for smooth operations.3 With many other public sector services already in the cloud or plans to migrate there, it’s no surprise that cybersecurity and risk management are top priorities of U.S. State CIOs for 2024.4 While 74% of those surveyed claim that security is the most important benefit of cloud computing, they realize that enhanced protection for citizen data and digital experiences requires trusted partners.5
Protect public services with AWS and F5
Offering over 300 cloud security tools, Amazon Web Services (AWS) provides the most secure cloud infrastructure available today to thousands of government agencies worldwide. When coupled with F5 solutions, public sector organizations are empowered with the defenses to operate digital services and applications with confidence. Together, AWS and F5 enable taxpayer-funded organizations to fulfill their missions more effectively and efficiently by:
Safeguarding citizen data
Combining robust physical and network security with data encryption at rest and in transit, AWS delivers end-to-end protection for sensitive citizen and government data. Government entities can augment the security of their citizens’ personal and financial data stored in the cloud by using F5® Distributed Cloud Client-Side Defense to monitor the software supply chain for attacks and immediately mitigate any attempted data exfiltration. By pairing AWS’s secure infrastructure with F5’s deep portfolio of advanced security solutions, public sector organizations can ensure their citizen data is safe and resilient.
Securing applications
Meeting numerous security certifications and accreditations, including FedRAMP High, and delivering extensive security automation capabilities, AWS provides a secure and agile foundation for public sector organizations to build and scale innovative applications.
Once deployed, these government-funded applications can be further protected by F5® BIG-IP® Advanced WAF, which combines behavioral analytics, machine learning (ML), and threat intelligence to thwart vulnerabilities, ransomware, DoS attacks, and bots. Robust security from AWS and F5 helps to accelerate the development and secure the operations of applications that deliver valuable services to citizens and efficiency enhancements to government employees.
Preventing fraud and abuse
The ML-powered Amazon Fraud Detector helps public sector organizations immediately identify suspicious activities to ensure their limited resources and budgets aren’t hampered by malicious fraud and abuse. F5® Distributed Cloud Bot Defense fights automated fraud using ML and behavioral analytics to stop attacks, including credential stuffing and account takeover (ATO). It can also help reduce infrastructure costs caused by malicious traffic. Combined, AWS and F5 enable public sector organizations to effectively analyze vast volumes of data to identify and combat fraud.
With many AWS-validated competencies, F5 solutions augment AWS-native security capabilities to protect public sector data and applications and safeguard taxpayer funds against fraud.
Secure the Public Sector’s Digital Future with AWS and F5
Digital services are now the norm, and the AWS and F5 alliance fosters trust and fuels innovation and efficient digital transformation in the public sector. AWS secure cloud infrastructure and F5 advanced security solutions set public sector organizations up to secure citizen data, safeguard applications, prevent fraud—and in turn deliver better citizen services, enhance public safety, improve operational efficiency, and more.
To learn more about how to boost public sector digital data and application defenses, visit f5.com/aws.
In March, join us at upcoming in-person events in the U.S. and Europe to dive deeper into how to secure public sector operations in the cloud.
Sources
1. NASCIO, Capitals in the Cloud Part II: Changing the Cloud Conversation, October 2023.
2. Deloitte, Cloud sovereignty: Three imperatives for the European public sector, October 2023.
3. Thomson Reuters, 2023 government fraud, waste, and abuse survey report, June 2023.
4. NASCIO, The 2023 State CIO Survey, October 2023.
5. NASCIO, State CIO Top Ten Policy and Technology Priorities for 2024, December 2023.
6. NASCIO, Capitals in the Cloud Part II: Changing the Cloud Conversation, October 2023.