Service Organisation Control (SOC) compliance is necessary for any business that handles sensitive data, like financial records or healthcare data, through Amazon Web Services (AWS).

Australian firms may need a SOC audit from an accredited organisation to ensure compliance and maintain the highest level of data protection. Learn how an AWS specialist like WOLK can help you prepare for a SOC audit and ensure the safe handling and storage of your most sensitive data.

The Five Trust Services Criteria

The versions of SOC that work best with AWS—SOC 2 and SOC 3—are based on five key principles known as the Five Trust Services Criteria:

Security. Protecting the data from unauthorised access, such as data breaches, misuse, or destruction.

Availability. Monitoring the systems hosting the data to ensure their continued availability to authorised users and clients.

Processing integrity. Ensuring the systems processing the sensitive data produce complete, valid, and accurate outputs, preventing errors or unintended modifications as much as possible.

Confidentiality. Protecting sensitive data or the confidential information it contains from restricted access or disclosure, such as proprietary data or a client’s personal information.

Privacy. Collecting, using, disclosing, retaining, and disposing of data in compliance with all relevant privacy legislation and rules, such as the Privacy Act 1988 and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).

To comply with either version of SOC, you must meet the Security criteria. Depending on your industry or business sector, you might also need to follow some or all of the other four trust services criteria.

Achieving SOC Compliance on AWS

Amazon handles compliance at the infrastructure level, meaning compliance is only guaranteed for the hardware and networking connections on which your data resides. Your organisation is responsible for security and compliance at all other levels: software, data, applications, and user access rights under the Shared Responsibility Model.

Businesses using AWS to manage sensitive data can tap into specific resources to help prepare for an audit and simplify the compliance process.

AWS Artifact. This resource allows your organisation to view the AWS SOC Reports and other audit documentation, such as ISO 27001. You can show copies of these reports to reduce your audit burden and demonstrate the infrastructure’s compliance.

AWS CloudTrail. This tool provides logging and auditing of all AWS accounts and activity in your AWS environment, such as user access or API calls. They are necessary for Security and Processing Integrity compliance.

AWS Config. This service monitors and records all configuration changes in your AWS environment, such as alterations to a security group, helping with Security and Availability compliance.

AWS KMS. Key Management Service (KMS) is a commonly used AWS service that lets organisations create and enforce strong data encryption and key management standards, which can help with Confidentiality and Privacy compliance.

Let WOLK Help You Prepare for a SOC Audit

Cloud computing and AWS experts like WOLK can help assess your needs and prepare you for a SOC audit. We handle everything from broad Well-Architected Reviews to gap assessments and specialized tasks like compliance monitoring and security checks. Every business is different—reach out to our team to learn how we can support yours.

Migrating your organisation’s operations and business data to the cloud has many security and regulatory benefits, especially with a trusted provider like Amazon Web Services (AWS).

AWS hardware and infrastructure fully comply with ISO 27001, providing your data a layer of security against tampering, unauthorised access, and unexpected loss. It also helps maintain compliance with Australia’s main data privacy and protection laws, such as the Privacy Act 1988.

Partner with the AWS experts at WOLK and learn strategies for keeping your organisation’s data safe and compliant with all relevant industry regulations.

Risk Assessment and Security Audits

Under the AWS Shared Responsibility Model, both AWS and your organisation are responsible for keeping data hosted on the cloud safe and compliant with regulatory needs. AWS’s share of the responsibility extends to its hardware, infrastructure, and core software. Your business must implement all necessary security measures and controls within that environment.

WOLK can conduct a risk assessment and perform audits to ensure all of the following meet your data security needs:

Identifying security threats. We will use all available tools, such as AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM), AWS Security Hub, and AWS Config, to monitor your cloud environment’s security. We can identify security gaps, potential threats to cloud-stored data, and compliance issues.

Usage of data encryption. Our team can check whether your cloud environment efficiently uses tools like AWS Key Management Service (KMS). Data at rest and in transit should be encrypted with secure and ISO 27001-compliant protocols like AES-256.

If configuration discrepancies or gaps are identified, our team can help you make all necessary changes to strengthen security and protect your sensitive business data.

Third-Party Assurance and Certifications

WOLK is an AWS Advanced Consulting Partner and a specialist of the AWS Well-Architected framework. Our team has the resources to help you implement the best practices in data protection, including providing the following:

Incident response preparation. We can help you navigate AWS disaster response tools and implement a plan that meets ISO 27001 A.16 incident management requirements.

Continuous improvement principle. We can implement a plan to help your business continuously monitor its cloud environment. This plan gives you the means to ensure its continued safety and compliance with the latest versions of ISO 27001.

Audit readiness. WOLK can prepare your organisation for an ISO 27001 audit and evidence-gathering process, including implementing an Information Security Management System (ISMS).

Implement and Maintain ISO 27001 Compliance With WOLK

Since 2017, WOLK has supported Australian organisations in securing their data and adhering to regulatory standards. Contact our team today to discuss your cloud security needs.

As part of its commitment to data security, Amazon Web Services (AWS) complies with ISO 27001, a globally recognised framework for managing information security. This compliance is crucial for Australian businesses moving to cloud-based services, particularly those dealing with sensitive information like personal, financial, or medical data. Learn how ISO 27001 supports cloud migration and how an AWS expert like WOLK can help protect your data in the cloud.

Understanding AWS ISO 27001 Compliance

ISO 27001, also known as ISO/IEC 27001, is an information security standard recognized worldwide. It provides organisations with a framework to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and continued availability of sensitive data. The framework is built around three core principles:

Risk management. ISO 27001 offers guidelines for identifying, assessing, and reducing information security risks. Organisations that comply with these standards can effectively manage and minimise potential security threats.

Access control. ISO 27001 recommends implementing strong access management controls to ensure organisation members only have access to the data they need.

Continuous monitoring. ISO 27001 outlines best practices for monitoring systems to detect potential intrusions, prevent unauthorised access, and ensure compliance with the latest security protocols.

You benefit from their commitment to ISO 27001 compliance when you use Amazon Web Services. Independent third-party auditors regularly certify AWS, and many services, like Amazon S3, EC2, and AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM), are certified under this standard.

The Role of ISO 27001 in Cloud Migration

Using cloud services with proper security practices is a great way to protect data and ensure client privacy. However, migrating to the cloud can introduce security risks, especially when transferring data.

Improper or non-secure transfer processes can expose data to loss, theft, or access by unauthorised parties. To minimize these risks, ISO 27001 recommends implementing access controls, data backup solutions, and encryption.

The framework also includes best practices for ongoing risk and compliance assessments. For example, it includes protocols to ensure the data migration does not violate local and international data protection laws.

Benefits of AWS ISO 27001 Compliance for Australian Organisations

Following ISO 27001 principles and using compliant services reduces risks during the cloud migration process and offers the following benefits:

Reduced operational risks. AWS ISO 27001 compliance offers Australian companies a systematic approach to identifying, assessing, and addressing data security risks.

Enhanced security posture. Following ISO 27001 gives organisations a strong, proactive approach to data protection. It covers threat detection, continuous monitoring, encryption, incident response, and disaster recovery plans.

Adherence to Australian law. AWS’s ISO 27001 certification helps ensure compliance with Australian data protection laws, including the Privacy Act 1988.

Discover How WOLK Optimizes Your AWS Infrastructure

Set your organisation up for success and transition into the cloud smoothly by partnering with WOLK. Our cloud experts have the resources to guide you through the cloud migration process, from AWS service guidance to data transfer. Contact our team today to get started with your firm’s cloud migration.

Did you know that in 2023, Australia’s healthcare sector reported 104 data breaches in just the second half of the year? Malicious attacks accounted for 67% of these breaches, and system migrations make healthcare organizations more vulnerable to these incidents.

Because healthcare providers manage millions of patients’ sensitive information, ensuring data security during these transitions has never been more critical. With strict regulations like the Privacy Act 1988 and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) in place, safeguarding this data is not just a priority—it’s a necessity!

One of the toughest challenges for healthcare providers is safely moving data to upgraded systems. It’s important to understand the risks involved in this process, the best practices to reduce those risks, and how AWS experts at WOLK can help you navigate the transition securely.

Risks and Challenges in Healthcare Data Migration

While modern cloud-based infrastructure is highly secure for protecting healthcare data, the migration process can still introduce several security risks, including:

Data breach risk. Moving data from older, local systems to cloud-based solutions can expose sensitive information to unauthorised access if proper security measures aren’t in place.

Risk of data loss. Delaying system upgrades increases the chances of data loss or corruption due to downtime or system incompatibilities. If the transfer is incomplete, files and records may become corrupted.

Compliance requirements. Even when upgrading to compliant hardware and infrastructure, the migration process must meet all legal requirements. Healthcare providers need to ensure that every step of the migration adheres to the Privacy Act and relevant state privacy laws.

Best Practices for Secure and Seamless Data Migration

Healthcare providers must fulfil three objectives when migrating to a modern cloud-based infrastructure system: maintain data accuracy, maximise uptime, and compliance. Here are the best practices to meet these objectives:

Data mapping. In healthcare, data mapping is a process that ensures all important patient information is transferred accurately during system upgrades. For instance, if an older system stored birthdates in a different format, data mapping makes sure the birthdates are correctly converted to the new format before being saved in the updated system. This helps maintain the accuracy and integrity of patient records.

Uptime. Minimising downtime is essential for healthcare facilities to keep providing care without interruptions. Techniques like phased data migrations, setting up backup systems, and scheduling data transfers during quieter times can help ensure services continue running smoothly.

Compliance during transfers. Healthcare providers can stay compliant by following strict data handling standards. This includes using strong access controls to limit who can access data and encrypting files during transfers to upgraded systems to protect sensitive information.

Protect Patient Data With WOLK

Don’t risk the security of your patients’ sensitive data by attempting a complex migration alone. The data security and cloud experts at WOLK are ready to ensure a seamless transition that meets the highest standards of compliance. Contact our team to safeguard your healthcare facility’s future and protect your patients’ trust—before it’s too late.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) supports the productivity and data security needs of Australian organisations in all sectors, including the healthcare industry. In addition to compliance with Australia’s data protection laws, AWS solutions can help healthcare facilities identify and address security challenges without impacting teamwork and collaboration.

Find out how an AWS expert like WOLK can help your healthcare facility migrate to AWS and modernise its processes.

The Importance of Patient Data Security in Healthcare

Data breaches regularly expose private or highly sensitive information, exposing victims to an increased risk of identity theft, fraud, scams, and financial losses. Many Australian laws and data protection regulations are designed to protect healthcare data and patient information. Examples include the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) and the Notifiable Data Breaches (NDB) scheme.

Despite these measures, healthcare providers across the country are vulnerable to patient data breaches. The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) reported 104 healthcare organisation breach notifications from July to December 2023, up from 63 from January to June.

Challenges in Healthcare Data Management

Healthcare organisations must handle patients’ personally identifiable information and medical records, introducing many data security risks and challenges:

Increased cyber threats. Healthcare facilities in Australia are often the target of cyber attacks such as ransomware or phishing, increasing the need for cybersecurity measures.

Compliance challenges. Healthcare organisations must comply with the APPs, report breaches with the NDB, and follow all other applicable laws to avoid sanctions and protect patient trust.

Data integrity risks. Failing to keep a healthcare facility’s IT systems secure and up-to-date increases the risk of corrupting sensitive data or rendering it unavailable.

Storage and access challenges. Healthcare facilities must process, store, and secure large volumes of data. They must also ensure that data is remotely accessible by healthcare providers for efficient telemedicine.

AWS Solutions for Secure Healthcare Workspaces

Amazon Web Services (AWS) includes a range of secure, efficient solutions designed to enhance your healthcare facility’s data security. These solutions comply with Australian data security standards without impacting productivity or workflow efficiency.

AWS WorkSpaces. This secure, remotely accessible Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS) facilitates access to sensitive patient data while keeping it safe with encryption at rest and in transit.

Identity and Access Management (IAM). With IAM, define and configure precise security roles for each healthcare worker, ensuring each team member only has access to the data they need.

AWS CloudTrail. Gain access to detailed user activity logs, detect who accesses what data, and give your healthcare facility the tools to detect and combat security incidents.

Secure Your Patient Data with WOLK Today

WOLK can help you protect your patients’ sensitive data and work more efficiently. Contact us today and learn how AWS services can strengthen your healthcare facility against cyber threats.

A secure, modern workplace is where employees can work efficiently and collaboratively from anywhere, using various devices, while ensuring that data and operations remain protected against cyber threats. Achieving this involves using advanced cloud services to provide flexibility, increase productivity, and maintain strong security measures.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) offers a comprehensive suite of tools and services that facilitate the transition to such a workplace, ensuring security and efficiency throughout the migration process.

How to Achieve a Secure Modern Workplace with AWS

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is the world’s leading cloud service provider. Individuals and businesses worldwide use AWS infrastructure and services to reinforce data security and facilitate remote access to their work.

Adopting and implementing the right AWS services is essential to migrate your workplace to a more efficient, flexible, and secure environment.

AWS WorkSpaces. A persistent, remotely accessible virtual desktop interface (VDI). Connect to your VDI using any device and pick up where you left off anytime, anywhere.

Amazon AppStream 2.0. It can centralise your organisation’s desktop applications on a single system that can be securely and remotely accessed by any team member from any device.

AWS Directory Service (AWS DS). If you use Microsoft Active Directory, AWS DS can integrate with it and reinforce data security with secure AWS authentication and identity controls.

Step-by-Step Guide to AWS Workplace Migration

Migrating to Amazon Web Services (AWS) involves several critical steps to ensure a smooth and secure transition. Below is a detailed guide to help you navigate the migration process effectively, ensuring your workplace is modernized and secure.

Assess Current Infrastructure

Conduct a thorough inventory of your IT infrastructure, including hardware, software, and network components. Also, evaluate the performance and capacity of existing systems to understand what needs to be migrated and what can be optimized. You should also assess current security measures to identify gaps and areas for improvement.

Define Migration Goals

Clearly outline what you aim to achieve with the migration, such as cost reduction, improved scalability, enhanced security, or better performance. Then, establish measurable KPIs to track the success of the migration, such as reduced downtime, improved response times, or cost savings.

Create a Detailed Migration Plan

Develop a realistic timeline for the migration process, including key milestones and deadlines.

Allocate necessary resources, including personnel, budget, and tools required for the migration, and identify potential risks and create mitigation strategies to address them.

Setting Up AWS Environment

Create and configure your AWS account with the appropriate permissions and billing information. Set up a virtual private cloud (VPC), subnets, and security groups to establish a secure and scalable network architecture.

Data Migration Strategies

Evaluate the type and volume of data to be migrated, including databases, file systems, and application data. Use the AWS Data Migration Service (DMS) or Snowball to transfer large volumes of data securely and efficiently. Always perform test migrations to validate data integrity and performance before full-scale migration.

Monitoring and Optimization

Implement AWS CloudWatch and CloudTrail to monitor performance, security, and usage metrics. Based on monitoring insights, you also need to continuously optimize resource allocation and performance settings.

Conduct periodic reviews of the cloud environment to identify opportunities for improvement.

Also, perform regular security audits to ensure compliance with industry standards and to identify potential vulnerabilities.

Make Your Workplace More Efficient with AWS – Get Started Now!

Let an AWS professional like WOLK kickstart your migration into the cloud. We can help you plan and execute your workplace migration, provide training and education to your team members, and perform security audits and monitoring to ensure a fast and safe migration process.

The modern connected workplace should be secure, flexible, and accessible. To meet these demands, Amazon Web Services (AWS) built its cloud services on the principles of the Well-Architected Framework, allowing organisations to benefit from the best data security and protection frameworks. Follow these tips and best practices to make the most of your migration to AWS and take advantage of its security features and options.

Pre-Migration Planning

Migrating to a secure cloud-based service requires proper planning and preparation. Creating a pre-migration plan can help you identify your needs and select the correct services.

Assess security needs. Identify the most sensitive data your organisation handles and determine what data must comply with regulatory standards like GDPR, HIPAA, or PCI DSS.

Evaluate current policies. Check your organisation’s existing security policies and identify any gaps or vulnerabilities the AWS environment can address, such as inadequate real-time monitoring, poor data encryption, or lack of multi-factor identification.

Choose the right AWS services. Review the list of available AWS services and select the ones that best meet your needs. For instance, Amazon WorkSpaces is a common choice for distributed workforces who need a secure desktop-as-a-service solution. Consider AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) to control access to your business data with a profiles and permissions system for your organisation members.

Migration Strategy

Once you have established a migration plan, develop a strategy to ensure your migration to a cloud-based workplace is as efficient as possible.

Establish a timeline. Create a detailed timeline for your migration process. Define clear, achievable milestones so you can measure and track your migration process in detail.

Prioritise your migration tasks. Visualise your current infrastructure and applications to determine what assets need to be moved to the cloud and in what order.

Security-first approach. Define and assign clear roles and responsibilities for your team members. Use these definitions to adopt a security-first approach and determine data access controls with tools like AWS IAM. Then, transfer data using secure protocols, such as AWS Direct Connect and AES-256 encryption algorithms.

Execution of Migration

During the migration process, the first step is to configure your AWS environment and set it up according to your business needs. Configure basic AWS resources, such as EC2 instances, S3 buckets, VPC settings, and the IAM roles and policies established in the migration plan.

Then, use secure transfer methods to move your data over to the AWS servers, such as AWS Direct Connect, ensuring it is not exposed to the public internet during your data migration phase.

Secure Your Future in the AWS Cloud

Partnering with an AWS specialist such as WOLK can help ensure your business data migration goes as planned. Our services range from pre-migration planning and execution to post-migration security audits, employee training, and continuous monitoring to ensure maximum data safety.

Cloud computing and software-as-a-service (SaaS) allow your business to access the latest technologies instantly, so you only pay for the services you use. Cloud service providers like Amazon Web Services (AWS) implement the latest security features to ensure your company benefits from these cloud services with the lowest possible risk.

Here’s how migrating to AWS helps to modernise your work environment while keeping it secure from the latest threats.

Key Benefits of Migrating to AWS

Whether you operate a small-to-midsize or a larger business, migrating to AWS provides your company with a comprehensive suite of tools to enhance security, including:

Enhanced Security Across the Board

Migration to AWS means benefitting from Amazon’s comprehensive security features. Security methods include firewalls, data-at-rest and data-in-transit encryption, and high-strength cryptographic algorithms to protect your data from theft and intrusion.

Amazon AWS approaches security from a multi-layered principle as part of its Well-Architected Security pillar. All elements of the cloud stack, from the physical data centres to the software running the network, have their own security systems.

Decentralisation of Endpoint Device Relevance

Migrating your business data to AWS means that the endpoints (your local devices) no longer need to host critical data and business resources. Everything that matters to your organisation is on the cloud, stored in AWS data centres remotely, reducing the risks associated with device theft or damage.

The primary benefit of this approach is to reduce the need to invest in security hardware and software locally. Other advantages include mitigating the risks of local IT failures and making it possible to securely access your data from any device, helping support remote, hybrid, and distributed workforces.

Improved Control and Management

With AWS, you have access to a broad range of tools to control and manage access to your data:

Identity Access Management (IAM) lets you create user profiles to control which organisation members have access to what data and resources.

AWS CloudTrail monitors user activity for suspicious behaviour and provides the tools to meet compliance requirements with your industry’s regulatory standards, such as SOC, HIPAA, and FedRamp.

AWS Config details your AWS resource inventory and helps ensure their configurations comply with your desired security guidelines. It also alerts you if any changes are made, ensuring you can quickly review them and respond accordingly.

Start Your Secure AWS Journey Today

Complete your business’s transition to Amazon Web Services with the cloud experts at WOLK. Contact us today to learn how we can help you build a safe, secure, and efficient work environment with AWS.

Measuring and Reporting on Sustainability Metrics to Track Progress and Drive Continuous Improvement

Amazon Web Services (AWS) customers can use numerous tools to manage and build reports on their organisation’s sustainability metrics. These tools are critical to measuring a company’s carbon footprint, overall greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and compliance with the Sustainability pillar of the AWS Well-Architected Framework.

Track Carbon Footprint and GHG Emissions with the Amazon Customer Carbon Footprint Tool

One of the most important sustainability tools available to AWS customers is the Amazon Customer Carbon Footprint Tool. This AWS service is a data dashboard informing businesses and organisations of their workflows’ environmental impact.

Use the Carbon Footprint Tool dashboard to view your organisation’s overall carbon emissions and build a path to 100% renewable energy usage. The dashboard can also display emissions breakdowns by geographic region, individual services (e.g., Amazon EC2, Amazon S3), and trends over time.

More Visibility into Sustainability Data with the Contino Dashboard

Enhance your organisation’s understanding of its sustainability goals and current performance with the Contino Sustainability Dashboard.

This new open-source tool provides a detailed view of your organisation’s cloud usage carbon footprint. It complements the Amazon Carbon Footprint Tool, giving AWS customers additional instruments to help meet sustainability objectives.

Contino Dashboard was designed for businesses and organisations seeking actionable data and plans to reduce their carbon footprint. It is purpose-built to increase data visibility with a specific focus on sustainability. The dashboard is also more accurate than previous methods, such as using cost optimisation dashboards and correlating cost savings with resource efficiency.

Report Data with Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Solutions

Compliance with Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) frameworks can help an organisation achieve its sustainability objectives. AWS customers can use ESG reporting and disclosure solutions to gather ESG data and meet reporting requirements efficiently. These solutions are designed to integrate into your AWS workflows. Typical ESG reporting tools continuously read and analyse your data to ensure compliance with standardised sustainability objectives.

After analysing your data, they show reports displaying various metrics and indicators to help you measure your company’s adherence to environmental objectives, progress towards sustainability targets and goals, and comparisons with industry peers.

Many ESG reporting solutions employ advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) to improve the accuracy of their data collection, analysis, and validation processes.

Make Your Organisation More Sustainable with WOLK

At WOLK, part of our role is to ensure your compliance with AWS sustainability principles, regardless of your experience with cloud technology. Whether your organisation is starting its cloud transition or is already familiar with cloud services, our team can provide guidance. Contact WOLK today to learn more.

This solution is ideal for delegating administrative permissions to specific groups within the business or organisation. This includes managing individual user accounts and implementing password policies.

Why Your Organisation Should Use AWS Managed Microsoft AD

AWS Microsoft Active Directory (Microsoft AD) is a set of powerful services allowing businesses to manage all devices and users on their network.

Why Your Organisation Should Use AWS Managed Microsoft AD

AWS Managed Microsoft AD is the ideal solution for integrating their existing Microsoft Active Directory with the AWS cloud. It gives employees and team members access to all resources and applications with only a single set of credentials.

Using AWS Managed Microsoft AD lets businesses and organisations simplify user management and boost data security. It also integrates with other common AWS services, such as Amazon RDS or Amazon EC2.

AWS Managed Microsoft AD is also fully scalable. You can deploy Microsoft AD over multiple AWS regions and accounts, letting your organisation access AD-aware applications and other AWS services from anywhere in the world.

Use Cases of AWS Managed Microsoft AD
AWS Managed Microsoft AD lets businesses and organisations share an AD directory for multiple use cases. Examples include:

Signing in to AWS applications and services using your Microsoft AD credentials, such as AWS Client VPN, AWS Management Console, Amazon Connect, Amazon FSx, Amazon WorkMail, and many more.
Managing your Amazon EC2 instances for Windows or Linux
Running traditional Microsoft AD-aware workloads in the AWS Cloud, such as Remote Desktop Licensing Manager or Microsoft SharePoint
Providing Single Sign-On (SSO) to your cloud applications and access Microsoft Office 365 with AD credentials
If you already have an on-premises Active Directory infrastructure, you can use AWS Managed Microsoft AD to extend it to the AWS cloud. This solution lets your team members sign on to AWS Management Console or Amazon WorkSpaces using their existing AD credentials.
Sharing your Active Directory across multiple AWS accounts to manage AWS services like Amazon EC2 seamlessly, eliminating the need to operate different directories for each account and virtual private cloud (VPC).

Work with WOLK, a Trustworthy AWS Partner

The WOLK Team is a certified AWS Well-Architected Program partner. We can help your business implement workplace integration and improve operational efficiency through Amazon Web Services. Contact us today to schedule a review.