Zen Internet has been awarded Public Service Network (PSN) accreditation for its IP VPN product, allowing the independent connectivity provider to offer services to the public sector, including local authorities and NHS hospitals.
PSN accreditation recognises that Zen's infrastructure and protocols are sufficiently robust and secure to safely carry sensitive public sector data.
To demonstrate this, Zen had to achieve CESG Assured Service (Telecoms) certification - known as CAS(T) - and undergo an IT health check.
Jon Bauer, Zen's Technical Director, said: "PSN accreditation will give us the opportunity to support a whole new sector.
"But what is equally important is that it shows all our partners how seriously we take the security of their customers' information and data. Our network, and the management that supports it, have achieved the high standards expected of a public sector supplier."
PSN accreditation comes on the back of a major investment in Zen's core network and an expansion of the company's on-net presence to over 500,000 postcodes, covering nearly every corner of the UK.