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AWS levels up in game of government security – and now one step below classified access

Cloud colossus still fondling DoD's top non-secrets for now

Amazon Web Services (AWS) has leveled up its US government security certification, winning the right to handle more sensitive work from the Department of Defense (DoD).

The company has, of course, blogged the news that it has won provisional authorization to operate levels three to five of the DoD's cloud security model.

Level one and two certification, which AWS already holds, allows it to provide public-facing services involving unclassified material.

The company says it has now won provisional approval to operate at levels three through five. Those levels involve more sensitive but still unclassified data, so while AWS is making much of the change, its GovCloud servers are still not being allowed anywhere near the DoD's crown jewels.

Whether the cloudy concern will ever crack level six, the point at which suppliers to the DoD can handle classified material, is hard to say. What is clear is that Amazon is clearly doing rather well in Washington, as between its new DoD certification and its $600m private cloud deal with the CIA, it is winning business with very demanding government customers. ®

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