Application security automation and AI helps public sector bridge Australia’s technical skills gap
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 7 May 2024 – F5 (NASDAQ: FFIV), one of the world’s leading forces in application security and delivery, has today announced the crucial role it plays in securing Australian Government agencies with a wide range of agreements across local, state, and federal levels.
In Australia, more than 20 Federal Government agencies and 40 State Government agencies now depend on F5 to ensure mission-critical apps are always secure, available, and fast. Additionally, F5 works with Local Government agencies, major banks, telecommunications providers, as well as organisations across the health, retail, and education sectors.
F5 has also seen rapid adoption of the F5 Distributed Cloud Services platform, launched last year, across all levels of government, plus organisations in the public and private sector.
The government expansion comes as public sector organisations face two significant trends: the evolution of applications as the centre of digital life, and the escalation of threats against those applications. The challenge is compounded due to complex application portfolios across multiple clouds and environments, as well as Australia’s technical skills gap and competition for talent.
“In a perfect world, government departments would have a deep IT bench full of the most talented developers and engineers with a team dedicated solely to ensuring application security hardening,” said Jason Baden, Regional Vice President, A/NZ, F5.
“But in reality, the skills gap means public sector departments are competing for talent against the deep pockets of the private sector. Despite Government IT teams being highly dedicated and highly skilled, they are often under-funded, under-resourced, and IT staff are forced to wear many hats.”
F5 Distributed Cloud Services customers benefit from the SaaS-based security, networking, and application management capabilities that enable them to deploy, secure, and operate their applications in a cloud-native environment wherever needed, be it data centre, multi-cloud, or the network or enterprise edge.
Adding to this, F5 Distributed Cloud Web App and API Protection (WAAP) simplifies security and automates processes, allowing application teams to focus on delivering features and functionality to enhance customer experience and drive business forward. F5 XC WAAP was expanded earlier this year to include new API code testing and telemetry analysis capabilities, resulting in the industry’s most comprehensive and AI-ready API security solution.
“Our heavy investment in the automation and AI capabilities of our solutions, particularly F5 Distributed Cloud WAAP, is helping the public sector bridge the tech skills gap,” Baden said. “Development teams can focus on the features and functionality in the digital apps that increasingly power the public sector, safe in the knowledge that security is being built-in along every step of the way.”
Recently, the 2023-2030 Australian Cyber Security Strategy was introduced to bolster the nation’s cybersecurity resilience, and emphasises the importance of safeguarding critical infrastructure and government systems against evolving threats. F5 has been at the forefront of implementing the systems needed to protect vital government assets and sensitive information.
Furthering its commitment to the Australian Government and its stringent standards of cybersecurity, F5 recently announced its completion of the Infosec Registered Assessors Program (IRAP) Assessment for F5 Distributed Cloud Services. An independent assessment of the implementation, appropriateness, and effectiveness of a system’s security controls, the IRAP Assessment solidifies F5’s presence in the Government market. F5’s completion of the IRAP Assessment to the PROTECTED security classification assures both private and public sector organisations that F5’s Distributed Cloud Services achieved the high standard required to store and process protected level information.
“We are proud to be a key partner in the cybersecurity ecosystem of Australia, working hand-in-hand with various government organisations to secure critical infrastructure and sensitive information, underscoring our unwavering commitment to providing best-in-class cybersecurity solutions that adhere to the highest standards set by the Australian Government,” said Baden.
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About F5
F5 is a multicloud application services and security company committed to bringing a better digital world to life. F5 partners with the world’s largest, most advanced organisations to secure every app—on premises, in the cloud, or at the edge. F5 enables organisations to continuously stay ahead of threats while providing exceptional, secure digital experiences for their customers. For more information, go to f5.com. (NASDAQ: FFIV).
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