FAQ: Is the ClearGov platform secure?

Absolutely! The ClearGov platform is hosted by Amazon Web Services (AWS), the world leader in cloud computing as a service. Used by the Departments of Justice, Defense, and Homeland Security, AWS is one of only three vendors that have been granted government authorization to store highly sensitive federal data on its cloud-computing servers.

AWS handles systems, network architecture, and security, enabling ClearGov to focus on what it does best — developing world-class solutions for local governments. With ISO 27001 and FISMA-certified data centers, AWS has made platform security its highest priority in order to protect customers’ critical information and applications.

Another key​ advantage of hosting on the AWS cloud is that it allows ClearGov to easily scale and innovate, while maintaining all security protections across the entire infrastructure.

Hosting with AWS ensures that ClearGov maintains the highest security standards in the world:

• Web application firewalls control access to the underlying code.
• AWS has built technologies to protect against distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks to ensure network availability and application uptime.
• AWS’s SQL Server RDS uses server-side encryption to protect sensitive data.

In addition to AWS’s secure hosting environment, ClearGov has implemented a number of extra software security features:

• Secure Socket Layer (SSL): SSL establishes an encrypted link between AWS servers and the web browser to ensure that all data transfers remain private and integral.
• SQL Injection Protection: ClearGov has built protection against SQL injection attacks where hackers attempt to insert nefarious server requests into web forms.
• Access Rights: ClearGov has implemented strict permission settings based on roles, which limit access to specific data and application functions. This ensures that internal users are restricted from accessing sensitive data based on privileges assigned by your administrator.
• Password Authentication: ClearGov does not store passwords explicitly, but rather “hashes” (encrypts) them so they are not compromised.
• Logging and Monitoring: ClearGov employs monitoring features that quickly identify vulnerabilities and provide immediate alerts if action is required.