Fastmail vs ShieldBox
for Government & Public Sector
in Australia
Government agencies and contractors cannot use Fastmail for OFFICIAL: Sensitive communications. See why Australian government entities are switching to ShieldBox for PSPF and ASD Essential Eight compliance.
Fastmail is Australian-owned but not Australian-hosted. Your emails sit on US servers — making them subject to the CLOUD Act and outside Privacy Act jurisdiction. No ASD Essential Eight alignment for regulated sector use.
Key Risks for Government & Public Sector
Using Fastmail
Compliance Obligations for Government & Public Sector
Why Fastmail cannot satisfy the compliance requirements of Australian government & public sector.
Fastmail is a USA-based service subject to USA law. PSPF mandates Australian data residency and ASD Essential Eight compliance for email systems handling OFFICIAL: Sensitive and PROTECTED information. Fastmail cannot satisfy these requirements.
Fastmail does not meet ASD Essential Eight standards for Australian government email. ASD Essential Eight compliance is required for email systems handling OFFICIAL: Sensitive and PROTECTED information. ShieldBox is built to ASD Essential Eight Maturity Level 2.
Fastmail is subject to USA law. US CLOUD Act (or equivalent) allows authorities to compel access to government data stored anywhere in the world — including in Australian data centres. This is incompatible with PSPF requirements.
Fastmail does not provide the ASD Essential Eight Maturity Level 2-3 controls required for government email — including DMARC enforcement, phishing-resistant MFA, and 7-year audit logging.
Why ShieldBox Wins for Government & Public Sector
ShieldBox is purpose-built for Australian government use — satisfying PSPF, ISM, and ASD Essential Eight requirements that Fastmail cannot meet, with full Australian data sovereignty.
Fastmail vs ShieldBox for Government & Public Sector — FAQs
Can Australian government agencies use Fastmail?
No. Fastmail is a USA-based service subject to USA law. PSPF mandates Australian data residency and ASD Essential Eight compliance for email systems handling OFFICIAL: Sensitive and PROTECTED information. Fastmail cannot satisfy these requirements. ShieldBox is built to ASD Essential Eight Maturity Level 2.
Does Fastmail meet ASD Essential Eight standards for Australian government use?
No. Fastmail does not meet ASD Essential Eight standards for Australian government email. ASD Essential Eight compliance is required for email systems handling OFFICIAL: Sensitive and PROTECTED information under the PSPF. ShieldBox is purpose-built for Australian government compliance.
What ASD Essential Eight maturity level does Fastmail support?
Fastmail does not provide the ASD Essential Eight Maturity Level 2-3 controls required for government email. ShieldBox includes DMARC enforcement, phishing-resistant MFA, and 7-year audit logging as standard — supporting Maturity Level 2-3 implementation.
Why are Australian government agencies switching from Fastmail to ShieldBox?
Australian government agencies are switching from Fastmail to ShieldBox to satisfy PSPF data sovereignty requirements, meet ASD Essential Eight obligations, and achieve Maturity Level 2-3. ShieldBox is purpose-built for Australian government compliance with full data sovereignty.
Switch from Fastmail to ShieldBox
Start for free — no credit card, no US servers, no CLOUD Act exposure. Built for Australian government & public sector.