Title

AWS re:Invent 2023 - Accelerate business and mission outcomes with AWS Government Regions (WPS203)

Summary

• David Schatzman and Sean Asfeld, both with AWS for three years, discuss AWS Government Regions and their benefits.
• AWS prioritizes security, investing continuously to improve global region security, emphasizing the shared responsibility model.
• Public sector customers often choose AWS for its long-standing experience (17 years) and global reach, which is crucial for agencies operating internationally.
• Compliance was identified as a major barrier to cloud adoption for the public sector, leading to the investment in AWS Government Regions.
• AWS Government Regions, like GovCloud, offer FedRAMP high and DoD impact level compliance, allowing customers to inherit security controls.
• AWS helps reduce costs and technical debt, enabling modernization and better customer experiences.
• Elasticity of cloud services allows for cost savings and environmental benefits, with AWS aiming to exceed Paris Climate Accord goals and GovCloud West being wastewater positive and carbon neutral.
• AWS offers multiple enclaves for different security needs: commercial regions, GovCloud regions, and secret/top secret regions.
• The talk emphasizes the importance of choosing the right infrastructure based on compliance, resiliency, budget, complexity, sustainability, and risk.
• A trend of developing in lower-classification regions and deploying in higher-classification regions is noted for cost and flexibility benefits.
• Experimentation and fast failure in non-production environments are encouraged.
• AWS staff, including solutions architects, are available to assist customers in achieving their goals.

Insights

• AWS Government Regions are designed to meet the specific needs of public sector customers, including compliance with stringent security standards.
• The shared responsibility model is a cornerstone of AWS's approach to security, where AWS secures the cloud infrastructure and customers secure their data within the cloud.
• AWS's global footprint is a significant advantage for public sector agencies that operate internationally, providing them with the necessary compliance and security across different regions.
• The development of AWS Government Regions was driven by the need to meet compliance requirements that were hindering public sector cloud adoption.
• AWS's focus on cost reduction and environmental sustainability is aligned with broader governmental goals, such as those outlined by the Biden administration.
• The practice of developing in lower-classification regions and deploying in higher-classification ones is a strategic approach to leverage AWS's infrastructure while maintaining security and compliance.
• AWS encourages a culture of innovation and experimentation, suggesting that customers should not be afraid to fail in controlled, non-production environments to learn and improve quickly.
• AWS's commitment to customer support is evident, with the presenters offering their assistance and encouraging attendees to reach out for help with their cloud architecture needs.