Secure Data Centres and Their Role in The National Security Strategy

Guest blog by Julie Preston, Defence Account Manager at Workspace Technology #NatSec2025

Julie Preston

Defence Account Manager, Workspace Technology

SCIFs (Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities) play a critical role in supporting national security objectives, and with the National Security Strategy (NSS) due for release in June, their importance is likely to grow in line with key strategic priorities.

How SCIFs Support the National Security Strategy:

Protection of Classified Information
SCIFs are essential for safeguarding highly classified intelligence and national security data from cyber and physical threats. As adversaries become more sophisticated, secure environments for analysis and decision-making will remain a central focus.

Enabling Secure Collaboration Across Agencies
As the NSS increasingly emphasizes interagency collaboration and intelligence sharing, SCIFs provide the infrastructure for secure multi-party briefings, joint operations planning, and coalition engagement without compromising data integrity.

Support for Cyber and Hybrid Threat Countermeasures
Given the rising emphasis on cyber resilience and countering hybrid threats (e.g., disinformation, critical infrastructure attacks), SCIFs will continue to be hubs for secure command-and-control activities and threat monitoring.

Key Areas of Growth and Innovation for SCIFs Aligned with the NSS:

Modular and Deployable SCIFs (Mobile Units) Secure Cubes
Demand is growing for rapidly deployable SCIFs to support field operations, cyber incident response teams, and tactical commands in dynamic environments.

Digital Twin and Smart Infrastructure Integration
Integration of real-time monitoring, automation, and digital twin technology into SCIFs allows for smarter management of environmental controls, access, and maintenance—enhancing operational readiness and efficiency.

Sustainability and Energy Efficiency
New builds are expected to align with green building standards and government sustainability targets. SCIFs will incorporate energy-efficient systems, low-impact materials, and modular construction to reduce carbon footprints.

AI and Advanced Analytics Integration
Secure environments for operating and testing AI models and high-performance computing (HPC) systems will be a growth area, supporting strategic capabilities in defence and intelligence. Increase the requirement for Secure Data Centres.

Private Sector & Defence Collaboration
The NSS is likely to emphasize resilience through public-private partnerships, and secure facilities such as SCIFs will enable trusted environments for joint innovation between government and key industries (e.g., defence tech, telecoms, quantum computing).

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