Register infrastructure
The Interim Network Defence Framework applies to every system a member operates on behalf of the Velocity Interoperability Network and to every system on which a shared Network service depends. So that the Department knows what those systems are, who operates them and how critical they are, each member registers them with the Department. Registration opened on 6 September 2026.
The register that results is the foundation of the Department's other work. When an incident is reported, the register tells the Department which other members depend on the affected system and must be warned. When an exercise is planned, the register defines the systems within it. When readiness returns are submitted, the register defines the systems each return must cover. A system that has not been registered is, for all these purposes, invisible to the Department, which is why the framework makes registration a condition of participation.
Information required. A registration record contains the fields below. Fields marked for Tier 1 and Tier 2 may be left blank for a system the member proposes as Tier 3, but the Department may ask for them if it assigns a higher tier.
| Field | Description | Required for |
|---|---|---|
| System name | The name by which the member and the Department will refer to the system in reports, returns and advisories. | All tiers |
| Operating member | The member responsible for the system, and the name and email address of its nominated contact for the system. | All tiers |
| Purpose | The shared Network services the system provides or supports, and the members that depend on it. | All tiers |
| Proposed tier | The tier the member proposes under the Interim Network Defence Framework, with a short justification. | All tiers |
| Dependencies | Other registered systems, whether the member's own or another member's, on which the system depends. | Tier 1 and Tier 2 |
| Continuity arrangements | Whether a continuity plan exists for the system, when it was last exercised, and the reduced form in which the service would continue. | Tier 1 and Tier 2 |
| Access to shared credentials | Whether the system holds or uses credentials for any shared Network service, and how they are protected. | Tier 1 and Tier 2 |
| Last assessment | The date of the member's most recent assessment of the system against the framework, if any. | Tier 1 and Tier 2 |
Deadlines. Registration is phased by tier so that the systems the Network depends on most are registered first, ahead of the baseline readiness return and the first Network-wide exercise.
| Tier | Description | Register by |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Infrastructure without which shared Network services cannot operate | 31 October 2026 |
| Tier 2 | Infrastructure whose loss would degrade shared services for more than one member | 30 November 2026 |
| Tier 3 | Infrastructure whose loss would affect a single member's participation | 31 December 2026 |
| New systems | Any system brought into service after the dates above | Before the system enters service |
Procedure. Members follow the steps below for each system they register.
Step 1: Identify the systems within scope
List every system the member operates on behalf of the Network and every system on which a shared Network service depends. Systems used only within the member are outside the framework and are not registered.
Step 2: Propose a tier for each system
Apply the classification in the Interim Network Defence Framework. Where a system supports services in more than one tier, propose the higher tier. Where the member is uncertain, say so in the justification rather than proposing the lower tier.
Step 3: Compile the registration record
Complete the fields in the table above for each system. One record is submitted for each system; a member may submit several records together.
Step 4: Submit the records
The member's nominated contact sends the records to the Department's contact address with the subject line "Infrastructure registration" followed by the name of the member. The Department acknowledges receipt within two working days.
Step 5: Receive confirmation of the tier
Within fifteen working days the Policy and Standards Division confirms the tier or assigns a different one, giving reasons. A member may ask for a tier to be reconsidered once, within ten working days of the confirmation, by setting out the services it believes the Department has not accounted for.
Step 6: Keep the record current
Notify the Department within ten working days of any change to a registered system's purpose, dependencies, contact or continuity arrangements, and before a system is withdrawn from service. A registered system is included in readiness returns until it is withdrawn.
Verification. Registration is the start of an annual cycle. The framework requires members to confirm each year that its standards have been met and requires the Department to verify a sample of those confirmations. The elements of the cycle are set out below.
- Annual confirmation
- By 31 March each year, beginning in 2027, each member confirms in writing that every system it has registered met the standards required for its tier throughout the preceding year, or lists the systems and periods for which it did not.
- Sample verification
- Each year the Department selects a sample of registered systems, weighted towards Tier 1, and examines the evidence behind the member's confirmation and its readiness returns. Members are given at least fifteen working days' notice of a verification visit.
- Findings
- Where verification finds that a standard was not met, the Department records a finding against the system. Findings are closed through the remediation plans submitted with readiness returns and are reported in aggregate, without identifying members, once a year.
- Register of shared infrastructure
- The Department holds the register of shared Network infrastructure compiled from members' registration records. The register is not published. It is used to determine who must be warned when an incident is reported and which systems fall within a readiness exercise.
Questions about registration.
Registration records and questions are sent to contact@defence.gov.vin. The classification of infrastructure by tier is explained in the Interim Network Defence Framework. Once registered, systems are assessed each quarter under Readiness reporting and incidents affecting them are reported under the incident reporting procedure.