Amazon Launching ‘Secret Region’

Amazon is launching a new “secret” cloud service for U.S. spy agencies. On Nov. 20, Amazon Web Services announced that it is releasing a new service, which it has dubbed “Secret Region.” This new cloud storage service can run workloads up to the secret security classification level for the CIA and other U.S. government agencies. The “Secret Region” is a complement to the service’s existing $600 million contract with the CIA for hosting top-secret information on its cloud. However the announcement comes amid growing concern over whether Amazon’s business and government customers are storing data securely in the cloud. In May, a contractor working at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. In May, a contractor working at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency left sensitive government information on the cloud without password protection. Similarly, the Republican National Committee left millions of voters’ personal information unprotected online in an Amazon cloud bucket.