Whole of Government Hosting Strategy: Hosting Certification Framework

Direct link: www.hostingcertification.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021-11/Hosting%20Certification%20Framework%20-%20March%202021.v2.pdf
Responsible agency: Department of Home Affairs
Last updated: March 2021

This strategy has a ‘Contain’ status as the Whole of Government Hosting Strategy was last updated in March 2021, however its principles have been operationalised in the Hosting Certification Framework.

The Whole-of-Government Hosting Strategy: Hosting Certification Framework (Hosting Strategy) was released in March 2021 by Digital Transformation Agency (DTA) and later transitioned to the Department of Home Affairs in 2023.

The Hosting Strategy assists Australian Government entities to effectively manage and secure their data, in particular the requirements that all data must be hosted with the appropriate level of privacy, sovereignty and security controls.

The Hosting Strategy is further operationalised through the Hosting Certification Framework, one of the whole-of-government digital policies and standards that the Digital Transformation Agency (DTA) uses to assess whether a digital or ICT-enabled investment proposal is robust, of high quality and can be brought forward for Government consideration. For further information, see DTA’s Digital and ICT Investment Oversight Framework.

Applicability

The Hosting Strategy applies to all non-corporate Commonwealth entities considering hosting solutions for arrangements that include the off-site hosting of data.

The strategy guides a defined approach to hosting arrangements that meets the needs of agencies to deliver on the Data and Digital Government Strategy. The scope comprises of data centre facilities, infrastructure, data storage and data transmission.