Telstra signs $32 million security contract with Australian Customs

Australian Customs and Border Protection Service (ACBPS) has struck a $32 million five-year deal with Telstra for secure Internet gateway services.

The telco will migrate 11 agencies including ACBP, the Department of Finance and Deregulation, the Attorney-General’s Department and the Department of Immigration and Citizenship to the secure Internet service. It is designed to provide public access to Web services while protecting against malware and hacking attacks.

According to Telstra's enterprise and government group managing director, Paul Geason, the agreement will provide over 22,000 government staff with enhanced online security.

“The Internet gateway solution will utilise our security operation centre in Canberra, a maximum security ASIO T4 certified facility that provides round the clock monitoring of Telstra’s infrastructure,” he said in statement.

The deal is part of the Australian government’s Lead Agency Gateway program.

The program, which covers all government agencies managed by the Financial Management and Accountability Act of 1997, has a goal of reducing the number of Internet gateways used by agencies from 124 down to eight. This is intended to reduce the risk of cyber attacks against government bodies.

In December 2012, Macquarie Telecom (ASX: MAQ) announced that a $14 million Canberra security data centre dubbed the 'Bunker' would be opened in mid-2013 to help protect government Internet gateways.

The vendor won the first gateway contract in October 2012 and signed a five-year agreement with the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

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