Britain's Ministry of Defence (MoD) has selected Australian cybersecurity firm Castlepoint Systems to automate data classification and reduce risks associated with human error in handling sensitive information. This marks Castlepoint’s inaugural contract in the UK, coinciding with heightened concerns over data security, particularly following the 2022 Afghan data breach which compromised nearly 19,000 personal records and generated widespread public scrutiny.

Castlepoint, now headquartered in London, brings its explainable artificial intelligence (AI) technology to bear on the MoD’s vast and complex data environment. The system automatically classifies data such as emails, reports, and documents at the point of creation, based on content and context, while offering traceable justifications for each classification decision. This transparency is crucial for meeting the UK’s stringent ethical and legal standards around AI deployment. By significantly minimising reliance on manual processes, Castlepoint addresses a known vulnerability in national security protocols—human error in labelling and managing unstructured data.

Rachael Greaves, CEO of Castlepoint Systems, described securing the MoD contract as a critical milestone for the company, emphasising the broader importance of sophisticated data control across organisations beyond national security. She highlighted Castlepoint’s explainable AI and true autoclassification capabilities as instrumental in improving labelling accuracy and coverage, while ensuring minimal disruption to MoD personnel.

The agreement signals Castlepoint’s formal entry into the UK and European markets, which are witnessing growing demand for AI-driven solutions in public sector data governance. The company is already well-established in Australia and New Zealand, where it serves two-thirds of the Australian Federal Government, overseeing more than 286.5 million records across over 1.6 million systems. This extensive footprint underscores the effectiveness of Castlepoint’s technology in managing the surge of digital records—Australian government data volume increased from 51 terabytes in 2013 to more than 314,000 terabytes in 2022.

Castlepoint’s founding vision, shaped by co-founders Greaves and Gavin McKay during years of government and corporate audits, was to tackle the escalating challenges of data storage, compliance, and security through ethical AI. Their platform integrates discovery, audit, privacy, cybersecurity, and records management, a holistic approach designed to address the escalating cyber and privacy risks posed by insecure data retention and management practices. Traditional enterprise document and records management systems have struggled to keep pace, leaving a vast quantity of sensitive information inadequately controlled, widening potential vulnerabilities.

The company’s market recognition extends beyond government contracts. Castlepoint has been named among Australia’s top 100 innovators in cybersecurity for three consecutive years, reflecting ongoing advancements in ethical AI and information governance. It has also been included in the CyberTech100 list, highlighting its impact in bolstering cybersecurity resilience, particularly for financial institutions.

Castlepoint’s approach is characterised by its emphasis on transparency and ethical considerations, ensuring AI-driven decisions do not inadvertently increase risks to citizens or organisations. Its innovation has been identified as strategically important for national security, offering governments clarity and control over their data environments while alleviating pressures on public sector resources.

This development comes amidst broader efforts within allied defence sectors to enhance data security frameworks. For instance, South Australian cybersecurity company Secure State recently launched a pioneering cloud solution tailored to defence needs under the AUKUS partnership, aiming to protect classified and sensitive information in compliance with complex international security standards. Such innovations underscore an increasing recognition of the vital role advanced cybersecurity solutions play in national and allied defence strategies.

Castlepoint’s MoD contract represents a significant step in evolving the UK’s data governance capabilities, equipping the MoD with advanced tools to mitigate risk, safeguard sensitive information, and uphold accountability in an era where the volume, variety, and velocity of data present enormous challenges to legacy security models.

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Source: Noah Wire Services