AWS becomes first cloud provider approved for NATO Restricted data

Amazon Web Services (AWS) has become the first cloud provider approved to process ‘NATO Restricted (NR)’ level information across all NATO member states. This authorization allows NATO, its defense partners, and member nations to utilize approved AWS services within AWS regions located in NATO member countries to handle NR workloads.

To achieve this milestone, AWS documented compliance with ‘D32’, a NATO technical guideline specifying security requirements for processing NR information on public clouds. The approval follows an evaluation of AWS’s cloud capabilities by Spain’s National Cryptologic Center (CCN), with the results subsequently approved and announced by NATO.

By utilizing common security standards pre-evaluated by NATO, member states and partners can reduce the time and cost associated with meeting security and compliance requirements. This also facilitates faster domestic certification processes for individual allies. AWS currently operates 15 regions across NATO member states, seven of which are located in mainland Europe.