What we do
The Chief Information Officer Group (CIOG) within the Department of Defence leads the integrated design, cost effective delivery and sustained operation of Defence’s Single Information Environment (SIE) to support military and business operations.
In simple terms, the SIE encompasses the information, computing and communications infrastructure of the Department of Defence along with the management systems and people that deliver that infrastructure. It includes Defence’s information assets, computing networks, business applications and data. It includes the communication standards and spectrum required for Battlespace networks. The infrastructure CIOG provides is essential and integral to core Defence functions including intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, communications, information warfare, command and management.
It is the responsibility of CIOG to ensure that the Department of Defence has a dependable, secure and integrated information environment, capable of supporting its operational and management needs.
Defence's Single Information Environment Facts
CIOG manages one of the largest ICT networks in Australia. Defence has a total ICT spend of approximately $1.3 billion, manages and maintains over 134,000 workstations, 8400 servers, 3000 applications, has arrangements to access four Defence-owned satellite payloads, as well as maintaining shared access to other allied satellites and three primary data centres for around 133,000 users.
The Chief Information Officer (CIO) is the head of CIOG and is accountable to the Secretary for Defence and the Chief of the Defence Force (CDF) for the completeness and coherence of the Single Information Environment (SIE); and for establishing effective governance and coordination arrangements for the planning development, operation and management of SIE capabilities.
The authority of the CIO encompasses all aspects of the SIE capability management including strategy, planning, prioritisation, development, implementation and support. Scope of that authority spans all Defence networks. The CIO is the technical authority for enterprise information management, architecture, standards, policy and master data management.
The Chief Technology Officer Division (CTOD) is responsible for the Defence ICT Strategy, technology roadmaps, architecture, and delivery of ICT systems and applications in line with Defence’s goals and strategies. CTOD provides guidance and support to Defence on projects of strategic significance, promoting technology awareness and competence throughout the organisation. The Division ensures applications are built and integrated in line with the architecture for applications and infrastructure, which is aligned with the SIE objective.
The ICT Delivery Division (ICTDD) is responsible for program and project delivery including development of capability acquisition proposals, and the design, development and implementation of capability solutions in the Defence SIE. The Division is also responsible for related industry engagement, consolidation and modernisation of Defence systems to improve service delivery to clients, and increase efficiency and effectiveness of business processes.
The ICT Operations Division (ICTOD) (and Strategic J6) manages one of the largest ICT networks in Australia. Defence has a total annual ICT spend of approximately $1.3 billion and maintains over 134,000 workstations, 8,400 servers and 3,000 applications in support of approximately 133,000 users. The CIOG-delivered strategic network supports both Defence business and enables military operations, providing secure and resilient ICT services to operationally-deployed ADF units across the world and Defence personnel working overseas with Australia’s international partners in over 15 different countries. CIOG delivers these services domestically, regionally and globally on a 24/7/365 basis through 30 separate security domains; fixed tactical interface sites across Australia that extend the strategic network connectivity to deployed Defence user; access to five Defence-owned or commercially-leased satellite communications payloads; and deployed computer networks including a Maritime Wide Area Network supporting ADF ships at sea through as many as 50 floating data centres.
The ICT Service Delivery and Reform Division(ICTSDRD) is responsible for managing the Groups business operations, working cross functionally to align processes and performance, champion reform and continuous improvement, and support integrated service delivery. The ICT Service Delivery and Reform Division comprises the Groups central functions allowing better control, consistency and coordination over the operations of CIOG business, and provides the support necessary to drive the change associated with the reform program.