Security for government and public sector programmes
Government programmes typically involve large teams from multiple vendors, each with their own commercial interests. When a cloud provider recommends more cloud and a contractor recommends extending the engagement, someone needs to ask what the mission actually needs.
What makes security in the public sector different
The issues that come up again and again in our work in this sector.
Vendor interests and agency interests rarely align
Cloud providers, system integrators, and contractors give advice that serves them commercially. A security partner with no stake in the outcome serves the programme.
Over-engineering that adds cost without reducing risk
Security controls that address low-probability scenarios consume budget and time. Rigorous security is not about doing more. It is about doing the right things.
Accountability gaps in multi-vendor delivery
When many parties work on the same system, responsibility for security can fall through the gaps between them. Independent oversight surfaces those gaps before they become incidents.
High-sensitivity data and absolute confidence requirements
Platforms handling medical, biometric, or personally identifiable data need to give regulators and the public genuine confidence in their controls. Not just a completed checklist.
The systems we work with
Government systems span a wide range of environments, often built and operated by different agencies, contractors, and private sector partners over many years. Data crosses organisational boundaries, access control is complex, and the consequences of a breach are felt publicly. Many of the systems we encounter are bespoke, poorly documented, and deeply integrated with other platforms that were never designed to work together. We have worked across this environment, including:
Trusted Research Environments (TREs)
Sensitive data processing platforms
Multi-vendor government digital services
Research data access systems
Biometric and medical data platforms
Government API and integration infrastructure
A featured engagement
We have worked with a number of organisations in this sector. This is one engagement we have selected to show how we approach this kind of work.
Independent Eyes on a High-Stakes Platform
A US federal agency building a sensitive data research platform needed someone in the room who was not trying to sell them cloud. We gave them an honest picture and pushed back where other parties would not.
“Really happy with Threatplane's involvement in this for keeping costs under control and holding other contractors to account over their desire to over-cook security, while still protecting us against the risks that mattered.”
Project SponsorWorking on a government programme?
Speak to us about your situation and whether we can help you.