AWS & Sheltered Harbor Partner for Cyber Defence Push

Amazon Web Services, the cloud computing division of Amazon, has become the first major cloud provider to join the Sheltered Harbor Alliance Program, marking a shift in how financial institutions approach data protection.

The partnership, announced on November 14, connects AWS with Sheltered Harbor, a non-profit consortium dedicated to enhancing cyber resiliency in financial services. 

The collaboration will focus on creating standardised approaches to data vaulting - a process where financial institutions maintain encrypted, immutable copies of critical data separate from their main systems.

Regulatory pressure 

The move comes as financial regulators worldwide intensify their focus on operational resilience. 

The partnership will provide financial institutions with pre-approved architectural frameworks for building data vaults within AWS infrastructure. 

These frameworks aim to help organisations meet regulatory mandates while utilising AWS infrastructure.

Financial institutions using the framework will be able to implement cloud-native Sheltered Harbor data vaulting. 

In the event of a cyber-attack or other disruptive incident, organisations can restore operations from their secure data vault, minimising downtime and financial losses.

Technical implementation

Under the new partnership, AWS customers in the financial sector will receive detailed guidance on implementing cloud-native data vaulting systems. 

The architecture incorporates prescribed safeguards and controls in an AWS environment as defined by Sheltered Harbor.

Scott Mullins, General Manager of Worldwide Financial Services at AWS, says: “The frequency and sophistication of cyber-attacks continue to escalate, financial institutions must have robust data protection and recovery strategies in place.”

The partnership aims to standardise how financial institutions approach data protection in cloud environments. This standardisation combines Sheltered Harbor's resilience standards and specifications with AWS security technologies.

Industry response

The alliance represents a significant development for the financial services industry's cybersecurity infrastructure. 

Financial institutions using AWS infrastructure will now have access to a framework that meets Sheltered Harbor's resilience standards while leveraging AWS's existing security technologies.

For institutions seeking to enhance their cyber resilience, the combination of AWS infrastructure and Sheltered Harbor standards provides a structured approach to safeguarding critical financial assets. 

The prescribed architecture includes specific safeguards and controls designed to protect against evolving cyber threats.

Carlos Recalde, President and CEO of Sheltered Harbor, adds: “Experiencing ransomware and the likely impact of such an attack is no longer just possible, it is happening at an increasing rate globally. 

“Having an effective recovery plan will help organisations survive such devastation. That includes protection of critical data by securely isolating an immutable and recoverable copy in a zero-trust, Sheltered Harbor certifiable data vault.”

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