Toan Le

The US military information network comprises over 15,000 classified and unclassified networks facilitating information exchange for service members worldwide. Known as the Department of Defense Network (DoDIN), it includes devices such as computers, mobile phones, weapons, servers, and data systems consistently serving military personnel at all levels. Data sharing across these devices has been under frequent threats of cyberattacks by adversaries and necessitates keen vigilance by the Defense Information System Agency (DISA) to manage risks and vulnerabilities.

Defending against cyberattacks is an ongoing battle for the Air Force, Army, and Navy, and requires strategic maneuvering and intelligent solutions. An integral part of these solutions has been the collaboration and technical support from the defense industrial base (DIB). Recently, the principal cyber advisors from each branch announced their challenges and priorities geared toward addressing cyber needs.

Recently the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) released a roadmap entitled Vision for the IC Information Environment to outline a vision to protect the nation from adversaries and maintain a “strategic advantage" over those intending to harm its information infrastructure. The roadmap contains recommendations from a collaboration of more than one hundred technical leaders from the intelligence community (IC).

For the United States Navy, data has become a cornerstone of its operations, guiding the course of missions, and ensuring the safety of personnel. Every facet of maritime endeavors, from intelligence gathering, to navigation and logistics, relies on a steady stream of accurate and timely data. Harnessing and making the best use of that data, though, comes with its own challenges. These can include limited bandwidth, stringent security protocols, and the sheer volume of information generated across a host of platforms.

Modernizing the defense healthcare system has never been more front and center for Defense Health Agency (DHA), the Department of Defense's (DOD) primary arm that manages all things healthcare for military service members and their beneficiaries. With acts of war and terrorism arising from overseas and the possibility of having our troops involved in future conflicts, patient healthcare and service preparedness are top priorities for the agency. So, the DHA is looking to work across federal agencies and industry to strengthen its healthcare systems.

As the demand for trustworthy visual data collection and advanced technologies to support strategic decision-making continues to rise, geospatial intelligence plays a vital role in delivering essential military and environmental insights to the intelligence community. Recently at the GEOINT Conference in St. Louis, leaders from several intelligence agencies shed light on the future of geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) and its relationship with emerging technologies.

The Department of Navy (DON) recently held its annual WEST Conference, this year with a strong emphasis on cybersecurity. The conference brought together key decision-makers from the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard, along with experts from various industries and government officials. The discussions were broad-ranging, covering topics related to naval warfare, technology, innovation, and cybersecurity.

At a recent Armed Forces Communications & Electronics Association (AFCEA) DC luncheon, Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) Director Lt. Gen. Robert J. Skinner highlighted three key priorities for the fiscal year 2023: posture, position and partnerships. These priorities reflect the agency's ongoing efforts to meet the changing threats of today and secure the future of its information systems.

“We must find fresh ways to connect forces, allies, and partners that provide an effective response to the challenge of a highly contested environment not seen in the last 20 years. Given the challenges we face today and in the future, we simply have no choice but to become more interoperable,” said General CQ Brown JR., U.S. Air Force Chief.

Interoperability for the Department of Defense (DoD) and Defense Health in particular speaks to the idea of information being more easily shared across systems. Technology vendors and channel partners who emphasize interoperability in the tools and solutions they sell to the DoD can find success anywhere in this vast department, from the warfighting side (for example, see our blog on Air Force interoperability) to the world of defense health.

"We are making progress. This really is not just about technology. This is about changing our processes changing our approach to delivering and operating technology to IT systems and our cyber mechanical warfare systems as we move forward," said Robert Vietmeyer, DoD Director for Cloud and Software Modernization. 

"Zero Trust is a cybersecurity strategy and framework that embeds IT security mechanisms throughout an architecture that generate metadata used to secure, manage, and monitor every device user, application, and network transaction at the perimeter and within every network enclave." From the Department of Defense (DoD) Zero Trust Reference Architecture v1.0

President Joe Biden signed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2022 (FY22) into law on December 27, 2021. It authorizes $770 billion in defense spending which is a 5% increase over last year. This marks 61 consecutive years that a bill received bipartisan support from congress (a display of agreement that has become increasingly rare for DC politics).