DRIVING DIGITAL DEFENCE
How digital61 Is Transforming Government Services and Critical Infrastructure Under Sunny Bhatia’s Leadership
As Australia’s public sector and critical infrastructure providers navigate complex challenges around digital transformation, cybersecurity, and legacy IT systems, digital61 is emerging as a trusted partner in modernisation. At the helm of its technology strategy is Sunny Bhatia, Chief Information and Digital Officer, whose 20+ years of experience across telecommunications, banking, health, and government is helping shape a future ready, cloud first, and security first organisation.
In this interview, Sunny discusses how digital61 is scaling its operations across Australia, implementing secure and agile solutions through its VelocityOps framework and Managed SOC offering, and maintaining a clear focus on simplicity, mobility, and security. From collaborating with agencies like the Clean Energy Regulator to prepare for the future of cloud in government, digital61 is redefining how digital transformation is delivered in some of Australia’s most sensitive environments.
Career Path and Leadership
Can you share your professional journey leading up to your current role as Chief Information and Digital Officer at digital61? How have your previous experiences, particularly at Macquarie and Optus, shaped your approach to leadership in the technology sector?
With over 20 years of leadership experience across ICT, telecommunications, banking, healthcare, and both state and federal government, I currently serve as Chief Information and Digital Officer at digital61. In this role, I drive digital transformation strategies, oversee cybersecurity initiatives, and ensure that robust technology solutions align with our broader business objectives. Throughout my career, I’ve led strategic programs and collaborated with global partners such as AWS, Microsoft, Google, Dell, and various government agencies.
My professional journey has provided deep insights into operational excellence and customer-centric service delivery, with a strong focus on scaling enterprise systems and managing large technology portfolios. I’ve had the opportunity to lead and execute large-scale digital transformation projects, experiences that reinforced the importance of agility, innovation, and collaboration.
These experiences have equipped me to lead with a strategic mindset at digital61, driving innovation and fostering partnerships that deliver impactful solutions for our clients. Under my leadership, we have expanded into New South Wales and Queensland, broadened our cybersecurity offerings, and introduced industry leading initiatives like our VelocityOps framework and Managed SOC solutions. Our success has been recognised through accolades such as our inclusion in the CRN Fast50. I remain passionate about delivering customer-centric solutions, harnessing emerging technologies, and fostering a culture of innovation to enable sustainable growth and success.
Digital Transformation in Government Services
digital61 focuses on assisting government and critical national infrastructure providers with cloud integration. Could you elaborate on how your team facilitates digital transformation in these sectors, and what unique challenges you encounter?
At digital61, we partner with government agencies and critical national infrastructure providers to modernise their digital ecosystems and drive digital transformation. Our focus is on simplifying complex IT environments through cloud integration, enabling seamless service delivery while ensuring systems remain aligned with evolving government and sector specific requirements. One of the key challenges customers encounter is navigating legacy systems. Many government agencies and infrastructure providers operate long standing IT systems that are deeply embedded in their daily operations. Modernising these systems without disrupting services requires careful planning, technical expertise, and a deep understanding of the operational landscape. This is where our cloud integration capabilities come into play, helping to modernise legacy systems in a manner that ensures continuity and minimal disruption.
Another significant challenge is ensuring data sovereignty and compliance with strict security regulations. Government and infrastructure sectors are subject to rigorous legal requirements, particularly concerning data storage and handling. At digital61, we ensure that all deployed solutions comply with these mandates, incorporating transparency and robust data protection mechanisms. Our deep expertise in government security frameworks including the PSPF, ISM, and Essential Eight, enables us to deliver secure cloud-based solutions that meet critical compliance standards. Maintaining security compliance throughout digital transformation efforts is also a continual challenge. As government agencies transition to the cloud, the security landscape becomes increasingly complex. To meet this challenge, we apply agile methodologies and domain expertise to design and implement solutions that are both secure and adaptable to the dynamic needs of the public sector. Security is embedded at every layer of the transformation process.
A strong example of our success in this area is our collaboration with the Clean Energy Regulator, where we deployed our VelocityOps framework to enhance operational efficiency and streamline service management. This solution has enabled them to manage IT operations more effectively, while positioning them for future digital growth.
In addition, our Manged SOC (Security Operations Center as a Service) offering has empowered several government clients to strengthen their cybersecurity posture. This scalable,IRAP assessed at PROTECTED Level, cost effective solution provides 24/7 security monitoring, detection, and response, helping agencies stay ahead of emerging threats without the overhead of building and maintaining in house security operations.
By addressing these unique challenges and delivering tailored, scalable solutions, digital61 continues to play a critical role in the digital transformation of government services and national infrastructure, ensuring our clients can thrive in the digital era while maintaining the highest levels of compliance and security.
Principles of Simplicity, Mobility, and Security
digital61 emphasises simplicity, mobility, and security in its solutions. How do you ensure these principles are effectively integrated into your projects, and can you provide examples of their successful implementation?
At digital61, the principles of simplicity, mobility, and security are embedded into every solution we deliver, forming the core foundation of our approach to digital transformation. These principles are actively integrated into our projects to ensure we provide solutions that are effective, user friendly, and aligned with the evolving needs of organisations across sectors.
Simplicity
We prioritise user centric design to ensure that our solutions are intuitive and easy to navigate. Simplifying processes is essential to improving operational efficiency and enabling organisations to focus on their core mission, rather than managing complex systems. By streamlining workflows, reducing redundancy, and providing clean, user friendly interfaces, we ensure that technology becomes an enabler, not a barrier. This approach is reflected in our cloud integration efforts, where we help clients transition from legacy systems to modern, scalable platforms with minimal disruption or complexity.
Mobility
Mobility is at the heart of our solution design, ensuring seamless access to data and applications regardless of device or location. In today’s hybrid work environment, enabling secure remote work and flexible service delivery is more important than ever. We leverage cloud technologies to provide users with secure, always on access to systems and services. This not only enhances productivity but also supports business continuity, especially during periods of disruption such as lockdowns or emergency operations.
Security
Security is paramount in everything we do. We embed proactive threat management and zero trust architecture into all our solutions to protect against evolving cyber threats. Our security first approach safeguards data, systems, and applications at every layer, whether in the cloud or on premise. Security is considered from the design phase onward, with continuous monitoring and risk mitigation strategies built in to ensure comprehensive protection.
A great example of this is our Security Operations Center as a Service (SOC) offering. It provides real time threat intelligence, 24/7 monitoring, and rapid incident response, helping critical infrastructure clients stay secure without the need for costly on-premise setups. Our Managed SOC model is scalable and cost effective, allowing organisations to meet compliance requirements while staying ahead of emerging threats.
Successful Integration
In every engagement, we strive to maintain a balanced focus on simplicity, mobility, and security. These principles work in harmony to deliver comprehensive solutions that accelerate digital transformation while improving user experience and operational resilience.
By integrating these three pillars into each project, we empower organisations to navigate complexity with confidence, enabling them to innovate, adapt, and thrive in an increasingly digital and interconnected world.
Expansion and Growth Strategy
With the recent opening of a new office in Sydney and the introduction of enhanced security offerings, what strategic goals is digital61 aiming to achieve through this expansion? How do these developments align with the company’s long term vision?
The recent expansion of digital61 into New South Wales and Queensland, alongside the launch of enhanced security offerings, marks a significant milestone in our strategic growth journey. These developments are directly aligned with our long term vision to become Australia’s leading cloud native systems and security integrator, delivering secure, scalable solutions that accelerate digital transformation across key industries.
Establishing a presence in New South Wales and Queensland brings us closer to critical government agencies, national infrastructure providers, and high value enterprise clients. This proximity allows us to foster deeper relationships and offer more localised, responsive support, ensuring we meet the specific needs of each region with agility and precision. It enables us to contribute to the local economy and capability. Our Sydney office, in particular, serves as a strategic hub for our expanding cybersecurity practice, enabling us to strengthen our offerings in response to growing demand for robust, proactive security solutions.
The move into Queensland also opens the door to scale our cloud and managed services portfolio. As more organisations look to modernise their infrastructure and migrate to the cloud, our enhanced offerings are becoming increasingly critical in supporting their transformation journeys. We’re focused on helping clients achieve operational efficiency, scalability, and long term resilience through flexible, cost effective digital solutions.
In summary, our expansion into New South Wales and Queensland, combined with our continued investment in security services, positions digital61 to lead the way in cloud native integration and cybersecurity. These strategic initiatives enable us to build stronger partnerships, extend our market reach, and continue delivering high impact solutions that drive digital transformation across Australia
Cloud First Solutions and Security Integration
As a cloud native systems and security integrator, how does digital61 approach the integration of security measures within cloud solutions to meet the specific needs of government clients?
At digital61, we integrate security at every layer of our cloud solutions, ensuring that government clients benefit from secure, scalable, and resilient environments. Our approach begins with robust identity management practices, including multi factor authentication (MFA), role based access control (RBAC), and just in time (JIT) access, ensuring that only the right people can access critical systems and data at the right time.
We also implement real time threat detection, using tools such as Microsoft Sentinel, leveraging AI and threat intelligence to proactively identify and mitigate security risks. This continuous monitoring helps us stay ahead of emerging threats and maintain strong security postures for our clients. A key element of our strategy is continuous compliance monitoring. We ensure that all cloud environments align with government mandated security frameworks such as the Protective Security Policy Framework (PSPF) and the Information Security Manual (ISM). By automating compliance checks, we reduce manual overhead and support clients in maintaining consistent, auditable security standards.
A prime example of our approach is our Security Operations Centre as a Service (Managed SOC) offering, which delivers 24/7 monitoring, rapid incident response, and enhanced resilience. This service empowers government clients to quickly detect and respond to threats, minimising downtime and reducing operational disruptions.
By partnering with leading cloud providers, we tailor solutions to the unique needs of government agencies. Through our comprehensive, security first approach, we enable public sector organisations to confidently adopt cloud technologies while maintaining regulatory compliance, data integrity, and operational continuity.
Adapting to Technological Advancements
The technology landscape is rapidly evolving. How does digital61 stay ahead of emerging trends, and what strategies do you employ to ensure your solutions remain cutting edge?
At digital61, staying ahead of emerging technological trends is fundamental to our business strategy. We recognise that the technology landscape is constantly evolving, and continuous learning and innovation are essential to keeping our solutions at the forefront. To maintain this edge, we actively invest in emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and cybersecurity automation. These tools enable us to develop smarter, more efficient solutions that enhance service delivery while strengthening security.
One of the key ways we integrate these advancements is through our VelocityOps framework, which leverages AI-driven insights to optimise service delivery and incident management. This framework allows us to improve operational efficiency and support better decision making through real time analytics and predictive capabilities. Additionally, our Managed SOC offering continues to evolve to detect and respond to emerging cybersecurity threats, ensuring our clients’ digital environments remain secure and resilient.
We also place strong emphasis on collaboration with industry partners and actively participate in initiatives like the CRN Fast50 and ITnews Benchmark Awards. These engagements keep us informed about the latest innovations and help foster a culture of continuous improvement. By maintaining close relationships with technology leaders and remaining deeply involved in industry dialogue, we ensure our solutions remain cutting edge and provide tangible value to our clients.
Building and Maintaining Client Relationships
In working with government and critical infrastructure providers, what approaches does digital61 take to establish and maintain trust and long term partnerships with clients?
At digital61, building and maintaining long term client relationships is central to our approach. We prioritize trust, transparency, and consistent delivery in all of our engagements. Our deep understanding of government operations and the challenges facing critical infrastructure providers allows us to offer practical solutions that are closely aligned with our clients’ strategic goals. To sustain strong relationships, we emphasise regular engagement and collaborative workshops. These sessions help us stay attuned to evolving needs, address immediate priorities, and identify opportunities for continuous improvement. We maintain open communication throughout the project lifecycle to ensure our solutions remain adaptable and relevant as demands change.
A key part of our strategy includes dedicated account management, providing clients with a single point of contact to streamline communication and ensure swift, effective responses to any issues. By remaining proactive and responsive, we deliver tailored solutions that grow and evolve alongside our clients’ needs.
Ultimately, our reputation as a reliable and innovative partner is built on our unwavering commitment to delivering exceptional results. By consistently meeting and exceeding expectations, we form strong, lasting partnerships that foster trust and support future collaboration. Our focus on transparency, active engagement, and flexibility ensures that we remain a trusted advisor and strategic partner over the long term.
Future of Cloud Integration in Government Services
What trends do you foresee in the realm of cloud integration for government services, and how is digital61 preparing to meet the future demands of this sector?
The future of cloud integration in government services will be shaped by several key trends, including the rise of multi cloud strategies, the evolution of enhanced cybersecurity frameworks, and the growing adoption of AI-driven automation. As government agencies continue their digital transformation journeys, the demand for secure, flexible, and scalable cloud environments will increase, requiring solutions that can manage diverse workloads across multiple cloud platforms.
At digital61, we are well positioned to meet these evolving needs by delivering secure, interoperable cloud solutions that enable government agencies to operate efficiently and resiliently. The shift toward multi cloud environments demands seamless integration across various cloud providers. Our expertise in cloud architecture allows us to design and implement solutions that are both adaptable and secure, ensuring compliance with the rigorous standards required in the public sector.
Our offerings such as Managed SOC and VelocityOps will continue to play a central role in supporting these trends. These services provide essential capabilities in real time threat detection, incident response, and operational optimisation, critical as agencies manage sensitive data and critical infrastructure in increasingly complex cloud environments.
We continue to invest in advanced technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning to further enhance the security, automation, and efficiency of cloud-based services. By integrating these technologies into our core solutions, we help government clients not only keep pace with digital change but also stay ahead of emerging challenges.
As cloud adoption in government accelerates, our focus remains on building adaptive, future-ready solutions that empower agencies to deliver high quality public services, while upholding the highest standards of security, compliance, and operational excellence.
Advice for Aspiring Technology Leaders
Drawing from your extensive experience, what advice would you offer to individuals aspiring to leadership roles in technology and digital transformation?
For individuals aspiring to leadership roles in technology and digital transformation, my advice is to cultivate a mindset of curiosity and continuous learning. The technology landscape is constantly evolving, and staying informed about emerging trends, new technologies, and best practices is essential. This mindset not only helps you remain relevant but also positions you as a proactive leader who can anticipate challenges and identify opportunities before they arise. It’s important to embrace challenges as opportunities for growth. In the fast-paced world of technology, obstacles are inevitable. However, it’s how you approach these challenges that defines your leadership journey. View every challenge as a learning experience that strengthens your capabilities as both a leader and an innovator.
Collaboration is key to successful leadership. Strong leaders empower their teams, encourage diverse perspectives, and foster a culture of innovation. Great technology leaders don’t just focus on delivering results, they also focus on building cohesive teams that can execute and evolve together. Keeping your team motivated and aligned with a shared vision and clear goals is essential. Another crucial aspect is understanding the intersection of business and technology. The most effective technology leaders recognise that technology should serve business objectives, not the other way around. Ensuring that your solutions are aligned with the broader strategic goals of the organisation is fundamental to long term success.
Seek mentorship and build a strong professional network. Leadership is a journey, and having mentors who can provide guidance, honest feedback, and new perspectives is invaluable. Networking with peers also opens the door to exchanging ideas and strategies that can elevate your thinking and leadership.
Finally, adaptability and resilience are vital traits for any aspiring leader. Technology is unpredictable, and being able to pivot quickly, lead through uncertainty, and inspire others to do the same is what truly defines a successful leader in this space. In sum, a great technology leader not only possesses technical expertise but also the ability to inspire, collaborate, innovate, and consistently deliver value. Stay curious, embrace change, empower your team, and lead with resilience, and you’ll be well on your way to a meaningful and impactful leadership journey in technology.
digital61 is a Canberra-based Australian SME specializing in cloud-native systems and security integration. Established in 2017, the company is dedicated to assisting government agencies and critical national infrastructure providers in harnessing the simplicity, mobility, and security of cloud technologies.
Sunny Bhatia Chief Information and Digital Officer