Transforming Data Analytics in the UK Public Sector with Synthetic Data: NIAXO’s 10-Week Success Story

In today’s data-driven landscape, public sector organisations in the UK face the unique challenge of extracting valuable insights from their data whilst navigating stringent security protocols. When sensitive information is involved, innovation can be hindered by compliance hurdles and tight deadlines. But what if there’s a way to accelerate data analytics projects without compromising security? How could we transform public sector analytics with synthetic data?

The Challenge

Our UK public sector client aimed to re-imagine their data analytics process to improve decision-making and operational efficiency. However, the highly sensitive nature of their data posed a significant obstacle for the project. Collaborating on their systems and premises was impractical due to extensive compliance requirements, threatening project deadlines and resource allocation.

NIAXO’s Innovative Solution

We were tasked with building a new data analytics proof-of-concept (PoC) platform. However, this was to be done without accessing real data, so we turned to synthetic data generation.
  • Complete Data Isolation: We synthesised complex datasets without sampling from live systems. We maintained an air-gap between real and synthetic data. This meant we could eliminate risk of contamination.
  • Realistic Data Simulation: We ensured the synthetic data replicated multiple client data feeds. This included detailed narrative records and coherent case files that users would recognise.
  • Mirroring System Architecture:  We distributed and fragmented the data to reflect the client’s real system architecture. This ensured the PoC was as authentic as possible.
  • PDF Rendering: For added realism, we rendered data into representative PDF formats adhering to customer templates, exercising the need to parse PDF sources.
By utilising synthetic data not subject to stringent security constraints, NIAXO could leverage their own team, platform, and technology efficiently. We deployed BPSS personnel with UK nationality and used our own cloud infrastructure, which is part of our Cyber Essentials Plus (CE+) scope.
At the core of the our solution was Elastic, a powerful search and analytics engine that enabled handling large volumes of data efficiently and securely.

The Results

  • Rapid Deployment: We built the entire PoC system, complete with synthetic data, within 10 weeks.
  • User Engagement: Our project culminated in a client workshop. Users interacted with our system as if it were operating on real data, providing specific recommendations for improvements.
  • Security Compliance: We facilitated the transition of the customer’s highly classified data to synthetic data. This data was handled at ‘Official’ as agreed with the client’s security team.
  • Resource Optimisation: By avoiding the need to handle sensitive data, we reduced compliance overheads and accelerated project timelines.

Conclusion

NIAXO’s 10-week journey with the client proves that with the right approach and technology. It’s possible to transform public sector analytics with synthetic data, without compromising security or efficiency. We did this by embracing synthetic data and powerful tools like Elastic, turning a significant challenge into a success story.

Ready to transform your data analytics capabilities with us?

Contact NIAXO to discover how we can help you achieve your goals.