NSW Justice strikes $7m cyber security deal with CSO Group

The NSW Department of Communities and Justice has struck a $7 million deal with CSO Group for a managed security monitoring service as part of its four-year cyber security uplift.

The contract will see the Perth-based IT security service provider deliver an integrated solution, complete with a security operations centre and security information and event management (SIEM) platform from Macquarie Telecom.

The service, which is currently being deployed, is expected to give the department real-time visibility, intelligence and remediation of security threats when it comes online in August.

Macquarie Telecom’s protected level cloud environment will be used to deliver the as-a-service SOC and SIEM, which will be wrapped around CSO Group’s managed cyber security assurance service.

CSO Group said it will also use its “strategic partnerships with CrowdStrike and FireEye’s Mandiant” to enhance the intelligence and incident response provided to the department.

The new contract – which was entered last month and began in July – comes just six months after CSO Group scored a $16.4 million contract with the department to assist its cyber refresh program.

The large-scale security uplift began following a three-year, $32.5 million investment through the digital restart fund in last year’s state budget, which the government has since added to.

Budget documents released last month show the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) has $85 million at its disposal over four years to “protect highly sensitive data and ICT infrastructure through investments in cyber security”.

DCJ said the latest contract will “drive further benefit from our technical cyber security investments to ensure attacks and other malicious events are quickly”, according to the contract notice.

DCJ chief information security officer Matthew Fedele-Sirotich said the services would allow internal teams to “conduct the in-depth threat hunts to continuously validate the secure nature of our environment”.

“All the while knowing our service partner is acting as our overwatch, ensuring we identify and respond to malicious behaviours and events,” he added.

CSO Group CEO Michael Simkovic said he was proud of the partnership and trust the company, as cyber security system integrator, has developed with DCJ.

“Delivering integrated security outcomes to our customers is our primary goal – enhanced through orchestrating the right components of our strategic partners to meet the contextual need,” he said.

Macquare Telecom managing director Aidan Tudehope said that combining the experience of the two companies would help DCJ realise its cyber security strategy.

“We look forward to working with the Department of Communities and Justice and CSO Group,” he added.