GCSx Migration in Wales complete - November 18th 2009

The GCSx Network is one of the family of Government networks which allow differing organisations to exchange data that may contain information of a sensitive or personal nature, in a highly secure manner. 

During 2009, under the Government Connect (GC) Programme, the DWP undertook a UK wide exercise to connect all Local Government organisations in Wales and England to the GCSx Network to allow benefit information to be shared electronically over this secure infrastructure.  Logicalis built a service to deliver this information exchange service as part of the PSBA Initial Order by extending connectivity from gateways into the GCSx network, to each of the 22 Unitary Authorities.  The first service delivered was GCMail; a secure email service. A second service is currently being rolled out which provides for a secure File Transfer service where files can be transferred to and from DWP without having to send them as an attachment within a GCMail, as currently happens.

The PSBA was confirmed as compliant with the GCSx Code of Connection (CoCo) in March 2009 allowing it to support the 22 Unitary Authorities in Wales as an Aggregated Gateway.  The Unitary Authorities also required to be compliant to their own ‘end user’ version of the CoCo prior to connection to this service.  The final UA recently achieved compliance to their own CoCo and has successfully migrated to the PSBA service.  In addition to the UA’s, DWP have authorised a limited number of other PSBA Network users to join the service once their internal systems meet the standards required to achieve their version of the CoCo.

The PSBA Network architecture was key to achieving CoCo as an Aggregated Gateway, using the overarching security framework in place across the network.  In Unitary Authorities that choose to use the PSBA as their internal network, the solution is architected to provide technical components as part of the overall basket of security measures that each organisation will need to demonstrate to ensure ongoing compliance with their individual CoCo, within their combined corporate and education networks.  It will also enable greater opportunities for site sharing with other sectors and developing one of the UK’s largest shared service infrastructures.