The Australian Access Federation (AAF) has partnered with the National Computational Infrastructure (NCI) to explore improved trust and identity for their researcher, government and industry users.
NCI provides expert services in high performance compute (HPC), storage and data, enabling high-impact research and groundbreaking outcomes for Australia.
The AAF, as the national capability for Trust and Identity, is collaborating with NCI through funding provided by the Australian Government’s National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS).
The strategic goal of the incubator is to enable higher identity and authentication assurance levels (IAL), that will help to improve the identity security posture of NCI.
A Trust and Identity Framework for accessing HPC
The AAF is collaborating with Australia’s national research infrastructures to implement the Trust and Identity Framework to enable best practice in technology and policy for seamless and secure access to digital research infrastructure. High-level identity assurance is a key underlying enabler of trusted research environments, by building trust and confidence in users.
NCI’s Associate Director – Storage, Daniel Rodwell, says, “We are working with the AAF to explore what IAL the Federation can currently provide NCI, and what future requirements might mean for researchers. The findings from this incubator will ensure our facilities run with outstanding user support and best practice security.”
Enhancing cybersecurity and assurance
The NCI incubator is exploring the policies required to enhance cybersecurity and enable higher IAL through the Federation. Along with assessing what is required from identity providers that align with the internationally endorsed Research Education Federations group (REFEDS) Identity Assurance Profiles (IAP). This will enable higher levels of assurance, that are needed to access NCI’s services and other national and international research infrastructures.
AAF’s Chief Executive Officer Heath Marks says, “Trust and identity protects our national assets from the threat of cyber-attacks and foreign interference, through safe and secure identity infrastructure, and trust policies and practices.
“To support effective risk management for high-value research infrastructure, organisations need to make decisions regarding the level of confidence they require in a user’s digital identity.
“Ensuring national research is safe and secure, is a critical step towards protecting it against future cybersecurity risks and foreign interference. This incubator is exploring identity verification that makes it easier and faster for researchers to access compute offerings, without compromising security. Cybersecurity starts with trusted identities”
Building an innovative, researcher friendly environment
NCI’s Gadi supercomputer caters to the biggest, most highly parallel workloads of Australia’s largest research organisations, while simultaneously supporting the work of individual research groups and projects.
NCI empowers Australian researchers by supporting innovation, creativity, and productivity to drive high-impact discoveries, tackle scientific challenges, and unlock new social and economic opportunities. Its advanced computing resources underpin critical work by the Bureau of Meteorology, Geoscience Australia, CSIRO, and a wide range of research across earth and environmental sciences, materials science, chemistry, health and medical science, and beyond.
Daniel Rodwell further states, “This incubator will enhance the services of NCI, allowing us to innovate and support new research. By reducing barriers to accessing NCI services, we will continue to help Australian researchers deliver innovative scientific outcomes, advanced technologies and critical insights to inform public policy and benefit Australian society.”
