Security by Design: Understanding Atlassian’s Cloud Trust Model

Modern government operations depend heavily on secure, reliable, and efficient digital systems. Whether managing internal service requests, coordinating multi-agency projects, or supporting public services, agencies must maintain strong protection around sensitive information and ensure systems remain available at all times. With security expectations rising and cyber risks increasing, cloud platforms must provide more than basic safeguards they must be built on a foundation of trust.

Atlassian has established a comprehensive framework that supports these expectations: the Cloud Trust Model. This model outlines the security, reliability, privacy, and compliance principles that guide how Atlassian Cloud—including Atlassian Government Cloud (AGC)—is designed, maintained, and continuously improved.

For government agencies moving from Data Center, legacy tools, or commercial cloud environments, understanding the Cloud Trust Model is essential. It highlights not only how the platform protects sensitive workloads but also how it aligns with public-sector requirements and long-term governance expectations.

This blog breaks down the Cloud Trust Model, examines its relevance for government organizations, and explains how Clovity helps agencies adopt it effectively during modernization.

1. What Is Atlassian’s Cloud Trust Model?

The Cloud Trust Model is Atlassian’s overarching framework for ensuring that its cloud products operate securely, reliably, and ethically. It defines the principles behind every component of the platform—from architecture and data protection to access control and operational practices.

The model consists of four key pillars:

• Security
• Reliability
• Privacy
• Compliance

These pillars come together to create a cloud environment that supports sensitive workloads and mission-critical operations found across federal and SLED agencies.

2. Security: Protecting Sensitive Government Data at Every Layer

Security is the first and strongest component of the Cloud Trust Model. Atlassian embeds protective controls directly into the platform's architecture.

Below are the essential elements that matter most to government agencies.

2.1 Encryption for Data in Transit and at Rest

AGC ensures that all data—including metadata, logs, attachments, and operational information—is encrypted:

• As it moves between client and server
• As it moves between internal systems
• When it is stored in databases or backups

This protects sensitive and regulated information throughout its lifecycle.

2.2 Strong Identity and Access Management

Zero-trust principles require continuous validation of every user and action. Atlassian supports:

• SAML 2.0
• SSO for identity centralization
• SCIM for automated user provisioning
• Multifactor authentication (MFA)
• Role-based access control
• User-level and group-level permissions

These controls ensure only approved users access sensitive areas of the system.

2.3 Vulnerability and Threat Management

Security teams continuously monitor:

• Platform vulnerabilities
• Network traffic anomalies
• Access patterns
• Suspicious activity
• Endpoint behavior

Regular security testing and automated scanning improve the platform’s resilience.

2.4 Administrative Access Controls

For AGC, Atlassian restricts administrative access to:

• U.S.-based personnel
• Background-checked individuals
• Personnel trained in handling sensitive government workloads

This ensures internal access is limited and supervised.

3. Reliability: Keeping Government Services Running Without Interruption

Public-sector teams cannot afford outages, downtime, or disruptions. The Cloud Trust Model emphasizes reliability through several core capabilities.

3.1 Redundant Infrastructure

AGC is hosted across multiple zones within U.S.-based regions. This setup allows:

• Automatic failover
• Disaster recovery
• High availability
• Stable performance

Even during peak demand, agencies receive consistent response times and system dependability.

3.2 Zero-Downtime Upgrades

Unlike on-premises or Data Center systems, AGC updates occur automatically without service interruptions. This eliminates the need for scheduled downtime or after-hours deployments.

3.3 Performance Designed for Large, Multi-Department Agencies

AGC supports:

• Thousands of users
• Large project structures
• High-volume service desks
• Multi-agency collaboration
• Expanding data sets

This makes it suitable for government organizations that scale over time.

4. Privacy: Ensuring Agencies Maintain Ownership and Control of Their Data

Government teams must uphold strict privacy protections around sensitive information such as:

• Internal operations
• CUI
• Citizen records
• HR data
• Legal or compliance details

The Cloud Trust Model incorporates privacy safeguards that support these expectations.

4.1 Data Residency Guarantees

AGC ensures that:

• All data resides in U.S. regions
• Backups remain in U.S. regions
• Metadata, logs, and attachments follow the same residency rules

This maintains alignment with agency and regulatory requirements.

4.2 Data Ownership and Transparency

Agencies maintain full ownership of their data. Atlassian provides:

• Clear documentation on data handling
• Detailed insight into where data lives
• Transparency into how data is processed
• Consistent communication about platform updates

This openness helps agencies meet internal governance expectations.

4.3 Privacy-by-Design Engineering

Every new feature undergoes a privacy review process before release. This ensures:

• No unnecessary data exposure
• Permission controls remain intact
• Sensitive content stays protected

These processes protect government and agency personnel information.

5. Compliance: Meeting Federal and State Standards for Secure Operations

The Cloud Trust Model heavily emphasizes compliance so that agencies can meet internal and external oversight requirements.

5.1 FedRAMP Moderate Authorization for AGC

AGC supports workloads that require FedRAMP Moderate controls, including:

• Strong access governance
• Structured audits
• Regular penetration testing
• Incident response plans
• Vulnerability remediation
• Personnel screening

This allows agencies to manage Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) securely.

5.2 Support for State, Local, and Sector-Specific Frameworks

Beyond federal standards, AGC supports:

• State-level data residency needs
• Internal policy frameworks
• Legal and regulatory mandates
• Sector-specific guidelines for education, public safety, and social services

This broad support makes AGC suitable for all SLED environments.

5.3 Built-In Auditability

AGC maintains:

• Access tracking
• Change logs
• Workflow modification logs
• Administrator activity reports
• Integration and app activity insights

These controls help agencies prepare for compliance checks, internal reviews, and investigations.

6. How Clovity Helps Agencies Adopt the Cloud Trust Model

While the Cloud Trust Model establishes Atlassian’s foundation, agencies must implement and configure their environments correctly to fully benefit from it. Clovity helps bridge this gap through a public-sector-focused modernization framework.

6.1 Compliance-Aligned Onboarding and Configuration

Clovity ensures that agency environments:

• Follow identity governance best practices
• Maintain strict access controls
• Use secure integration patterns
• Align with residency and risk requirements
• Enforce least-privilege permissions

This helps agencies use AGC in a secure and compliant way.

6.2 Secure Migration of Workflows, Data, and Automations

Clovity performs migrations with care to preserve:

• Service desk workflows
• Issue types and fields
• Custom configurations
• SLAs
• Automations
• Attachments and comments

This reduces downtime and prevents misconfigurations that could impact security or compliance.

6.3 Zero-Trust Architecture Implementation

Clovity specializes in bringing zero-trust principles into AGC environments by:

• Segmenting workflows
• Restricting access by department
• Enforcing role-based visibility
• Strengthening request-level controls
• Implementing automation guardrails

This ensures teams operate securely at every level of the service management ecosystem.

6.4 Ongoing Governance and Support

Clovity provides:

• Quarterly reviews
• Policy updates
• Workflow optimizations
• Audit preparation
• Security enhancements
• Documentation and training

This ensures environments remain aligned with the Cloud Trust Model as agency needs evolve.

7. Why the Cloud Trust Model Matters for Government IT

Government agencies rely on cloud platforms to support mission-critical operations. Without strong trust principles, platforms can create risks in areas such as:

• Cybersecurity
• Public accountability
• Audit readiness
• Access governance
• Data protection
• Continuity of service

Atlassian’s Cloud Trust Model offers a structured, well-defined system that gives agencies confidence in adopting cloud-based ITSM and collaboration tools.

By focusing on security, reliability, privacy, and compliance, Atlassian provides a cloud environment that fits the needs of modern public-sector organizations.

With Clovity’s support, agencies can adopt, configure, and operate AGC in a way that strengthens their security posture and long-term operational resilience.

Conclusion

Security by design is no longer optional for government agencies. It is a foundational requirement for any service management, collaboration, or modernization initiative. Atlassian’s Cloud Trust Model offers a clear framework that supports secure, reliable, and compliant operations for public-sector workloads.

Clovity helps agencies adopt AGC with a structured, policy-aligned approach that ensures workflows, data, access, and governance practices remain aligned with public-sector expectations.

📧 Contact us at sales@clovity.com or visit 🌐 atlassian.clovity.com to get started today.