The Top 5 Insights for Government from TechNet Cyber 2026

Posted on by Brian O’Donnell

Cyber and defense leaders gathered at TechNet Cyber 2026 with a shared conviction: cyberspace is no longer a supporting domain; it is the connective tissue of modern conflict. Across keynote addresses and panel sessions, senior officials from the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Coast Guard and Air Force, and U.S. Cyber Command delivered a consistent message that the nation’s adversaries are not waiting and neither can the joint force. TechNet Cyber 2026 made clear that the era of incremental progress in cyberspace must give way to decisive, integrated action!

Five critical insights emerged from TechNet Cyber 2026 that define the path forward for achieving and sustaining cyber dominance in an era of intensifying great power competition, spanning cyber integration, Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA), Artificial Intelligence (AI), critical infrastructure defense and workforce transformation and critical infrastructure defense.

Integrating Cyber Across All Warfighting Domains Is Now a Strategic Imperative

Cyberspace has evolved from a niche technical function into what senior officials described as the connective tissue of all-domain operations. Katherine Sutton, Assistant Secretary of War for Cyber Policy and the Principal Cyber Advisor to the Secretary of War, emphasized that the most significant capabilities in the cyber domain are realized not through standalone cyber operations, but when those operations are tightly integrated with effects across every other domain. As Katherine Sutton noted, coordinated space and cyber operations in Operations Absolute Resolve and Epic Fury effectively disrupted adversary communications and sensor networks, leaving opposing forces without the ability to see, coordinate or respond. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s (JCS) public acknowledgment that U.S. Cyber Command and the National Guard were central to those operations underscore how deeply embedded cyber effects have become in the joint force’s playbook.

Achieving this level of integration demands cultural transformation just as much as technical investment. Colonel Ryan Whitty, Director of Operations, Marine Corps Forces, Cyber Space Command described how the Commander’s Cyber Defense Playbook and accompanying cyberspace orders now assign direct responsibility to commanders for the security of their battle space, embedding cyber into command accountability at every level. Captian Joe Meuse, Commander Coast Guard Cyber Command described his service’s role as critical connector between maritime critical infrastructure and the joint force, providing the language, authorities and operational experience that bridges civilian and military cyber efforts. The consensus across services was clear: cyber effectiveness multiplies when it is woven into operational planning from the outset, not appended after the fact.

Zero Trust Architecture Is Transforming from Compliance Mandate to Operational Capability

At TechNet Cyber 2026, leaders from Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) and its Thunderdome program made a deliberate effort to move the conversation beyond compliance checklists and toward measurable operational outcomes. The conditional access policies, telemetry capabilities and identity management tools being deployed across the Department of War (DOW) Information Network have demonstrated the ability reduce risk across the department. The definition of success has shifted from meeting a compliance threshold to genuinely improving the effectiveness of defensive cyber operators. The Thunderdome program has now been implemented at approximately 400 sites across defense agencies, with a target of reaching around 900 sites and 12 agencies by the end of fiscal year 2027.

Identity, Credential and Access Management (ICAM) adoption remains the single most important near-term enabler of Zero Trust progress. Enablement teams have been established to provide support to program offices lacking the resources or expertise to complete that transition independently, a recognition that mandate without support produces stagnation, not progress. Looking ahead, DISA leaders identified AI as the next critical layer on top of the Zero Trust foundation, moving forward with a behavioral, continuous authentication model capable of making access determinations at machine speed. Post-quantum cryptography (PQC) was also flagged as an emerging priority, with leaders emphasizing that flexibility to swap cryptographic solutions must be built into the architecture from the start. Carahsoft vendor partners offering Zero Trust and compliance solutions such as Absolute, AccuKnox, ObjectSecurity, Paramify and Quzara are well-positioned to support agencies navigating this transition.

AI is the Force Multiplier for Cyber Operations

The topic of AI dominated discussions at TechNet Cyber 2026 as a capability actively reshaping the strategic environment. Katherine Sutton described AI as a powerful force multiplier for adversaries and an essential tool for maintaining overmatch, noting that state-sponsored groups employing living-off-the-land techniques are already leveraging AI to increase the scale and sophistication of their campaigns. Across the services, concrete applications are already in use:

The Marine Corps is deploying AI models to speed network reconfiguration and broaden threat detection

The Air Force is shifting toward autonomous security orchestration to free analysts for more complex mission demands

The Coast Guard is using AI to filter noise from maritime sensor data to improve transportation security and search-and-rescue operations

Carahsoft partners offering AI-powered cyber operations and threat detection solutions such as Datadog, SentinelOne and Torq provide the visbility and automated response capabilities mission environments require.

Cyber Force Generation Must Prioritize Domain Mastery Over Compliance-Based Training

The Department of War’s CYBERCOM 2.0 force generation model represents the most significant restructuring of how the United States builds its cyber workforce in decades. The new model shifts decisively toward career-long operational specialization, establishing dedicated pathways in critical fields including industrial control systems, cloud infrastructure, AI and firmware reverse engineering. Success will no longer be measured by qualification boxes checked, but by the high-impact effects and strategic outcomes operators can deliver. Three enabling organizations anchor the model:

The Cyber Talent Management Organization for recruiting and retention

The Advanced Cyber Training and Education Center for on-demand mission-specific training

The Cyber Innovation Center is the proving ground where operators and industry developers test new concepts against realistic threats

Brig Gen Jason Christman, Air National Guard Assistant to the Commander Sixteenth Air Force, described an active effort to cultivate AI talent at all levels and empower teams with the right environment for innovation, not just deploying tools, but building the human capital to wield them effectively. Speakers highlighted the strategic value of enabling the talent ecosystem to be more permeable between active duty, reserve components and the commercial sector, enabling a continuous exchange of skills and operational experience. With adversaries leveraging AI to automate attacks at a speed human operators cannot match through manual processes alone, building a workforce capable of leveraging AI as a force multiplier is foundational.

Defending Critical Infrastructure Requires a New Model of Operational Collaboration with Industry

One of the most urgent themes at TechNet Cyber 2026 was the vulnerability of critical infrastructure -power, water, telecommunications, transportation and port systems that are fundamental to the Nation’s wellbeing. Adversaries understand that targeting operational technology systems, which have historically not received the same security rigor as IT networks, is both easier and potentially more damaging. Leaders described active adversary campaigns targeting logistics networks, port facilities and base infrastructure, and emphasized that no single Government entity can address this challenge alone.

Coast Guard Cyber Protection Teams are already deployed into ports and maritime critical infrastructure to partner directly with industry, raise cybersecurity awareness and provide technical assistance that industry partners would struggle to access independently. Katherine Sutton called for moving beyond traditional public-private partnerships limited to information sharing and toward a model of operational collaboration where trusted industry partners take a forward-leaning role in defending systems and disrupting adversary activity in real time. Panelists were equally clear that defending critical infrastructure begins with eliminating self-inflicted vulnerabilities through disciplined network hygiene, patching and scanning. Resilience, the ability to absorb an incident and continue operating while reconstituting, emerged as the defining characteristic of a credible cyber defense posture for both military and civilian infrastructure. Carahsoft partners offering identity verification and cyber resilience solutions such as Socure, Cympire and RAKIA bring targeted capabilities to help agencies and critical infrastructure operators meet that standard.

Charting the Course for Cyber Dominance

TechNet Cyber 2026 reinforced that sustained dominance in cyberspace requires synchronized progress across policy, technology, workforce, architecture and partnerships. The integration of cyber across all domains, the operationalization of Zero Trust, the purposeful adoption of AI, a reimagined force generation model and a new paradigm for industry collaboration are interconnected elements of a comprehensive transformation.

As Carahsoft, The Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider™, continues supporting the Government’s cybersecurity and IT modernization priorities, the insights from TechNet Cyber 2026 inform how industry can best partner with the joint force to deliver capabilities that drive cyber dominance.

For more information on Carahsoft and our industry-leading cybersecurity technology partners, visit our cybersecurity solutions portfolio.

Contact the cybersecurity team at CyberSecurity@carahsoft.com or (571) 591-6111 to discuss how Carahsoft’s technology partners can support your cyber mission requirements.

The Post-Quantum Shift Has Begun: Why 2026–2027 Will Redefine Cybersecurity Modernization

Posted on by Peter Bentley

For years, post-quantum cryptography (PQC) was viewed as an important but distant cybersecurity challenge; something to monitor, study and prepare for eventually. That mindset is changing rapidly. Today, the convergence of AI-driven cyber escalation, critical infrastructure modernization and finalized NIST standards is transforming PQC from a future research topic into an immediate operational priority.

From Future Concern to Immediate Priority

Across Government and industry, organizations are beginning to recognize that many of the cryptographic assumptions underlying modern digital infrastructure were built for a different era. Legacy systems were never designed to withstand the combined pressures of nation-state cyber attacks, hyperconnected operational environments and the accelerating pace of artificial intelligence (AI). As a result, 2026 and 2027 are shaping up to be the defining years when the market transitions from post-quantum awareness into active execution.

2026–2027: The Tipping Point for Quantum-Safe Modernization

The next two years will likely become the tipping point for quantum-safe modernization. In 2026, most organizations will focus heavily on cryptographic inventory initiatives, risk assessments, pilot programs and crypto-agility planning. Agencies and enterprises alike are beginning to realize that before they can protect themselves from future cryptographic disruption, they first need visibility into where vulnerable cryptography actually exists within their environments. This is a far more complicated challenge than many initially expected. Cryptographic dependencies are deeply embedded across networks, applications, APIs, cloud services, firmware, identity systems, industrial controls and security appliances. In many cases, organizations simply do not possess a complete understanding of how extensively legacy encryption is woven throughout their operations.

By 2027, the conversation is expected to shift decisively toward broader deployment. Quantum-safe overlays for remote access, edge-to-cloud encryption, Zero Trust modernization and operational technology segmentation will increasingly move into funded programs across Federal agencies, utilities, telecom providers, financial institutions and critical infrastructure operators. The market is beginning to move beyond theoretical planning toward practical implementation because organizations now understand that the risks are no longer hypothetical.

“Harvest Now, Decrypt Later” and the Rise of AI-Driven Threats

One of the most significant drivers behind this urgency is the growing concern surrounding “Harvest Now, Decrypt Later” attacks. Adversaries are believed to already be collecting enormous volumes of encrypted Government, defense, financial, healthcare and infrastructure-related data with the expectation that future quantum computing capabilities may eventually decrypt the information retroactively. For organizations managing long-life sensitive data, the implications are profound. Infrastructure lifecycles often extend twenty or thirty years, while certain forms of sensitive information may retain strategic value even longer. By the time quantum computing fully matures, it may already be too late to protect data that was transmitted years earlier using vulnerable cryptographic methods.

At the same time, AI is fundamentally changing the speed and scale of cyber operations. AI-enabled systems are dramatically accelerating vulnerability discovery, infrastructure mapping, credential exploitation, malware adaptation and social engineering campaigns. Legacy cybersecurity architectures were not built to defend against threats evolving at machine speed. Meanwhile, AI itself is becoming deeply integrated into critical infrastructure, industrial automation, defense systems, smart grids, logistics networks and operational technology environments. These systems increasingly depend on trusted machine-to-machine communications and secure data integrity. If cryptographic trust begins to erode, AI-enabled operational systems themselves become vulnerable to manipulation, spoofing, data poisoning and operational disruption. In many respects, AI may actually be accelerating the need for PQC faster than quantum computing itself.

Hyperconnectivity Is Expanding the Attack Surface

This challenge is becoming even more urgent as critical infrastructure grows increasingly hyperconnected. Utilities, pipelines, manufacturing plants, transportation systems, municipalities, healthcare providers and telecom operators are all rapidly modernizing through cloud adoption, edge computing, IoT deployments, distributed operations, remote access pathways and private 5G architectures. While this connectivity creates tremendous operational efficiencies and new business opportunities, it also dramatically expands the attack surface. Many of these environments still rely on aging VPNs, legacy PKI infrastructures, unsupported firmware, flat network architectures and long-life industrial systems that were never designed with quantum resilience in mind.

A New Cybersecurity Model: From Discovery to Migration

At the Federal level, procurement and modernization pressure are also accelerating market adoption. Agencies and regulated industries are increasingly expected to demonstrate cryptographic visibility, migration planning, vendor readiness and crypto-agility. Procurement conversations are evolving rapidly. The question is no longer simply whether a vendor supports PQC. Organizations are now being asked to explain their migration strategy, inventory methodology, remediation approach and long-term cryptographic roadmap. This shift is creating significant momentum across Federal modernization programs, defense initiatives, telecom infrastructure, energy systems and managed security services.

What is emerging is a new operational model for cybersecurity modernization: discover, assess, prioritize, protect and migrate. Organizations that begin this process early are likely to benefit from reduced long-term remediation costs, improved operational resilience, stronger regulatory readiness and greater infrastructure trustworthiness. Early movers may also gain competitive procurement advantages and stronger positioning with customers, regulators, insurers and investors. Conversely, organizations that delay action risk expanding technical debt, compressed migration timelines, increased operational exposure and growing regulatory pressure.

Quantum Readiness Is Now a Business Imperative

Post-quantum readiness is no longer simply a cybersecurity discussion. It is rapidly becoming a business resilience, operational continuity and national security priority. The organizations that lead over the next decade will not necessarily be those with the largest technology budgets, but those that establish cryptographic visibility, crypto-agility and quantum-safe migration pathways before disruption forces reactive action.

The market transition has already begun. The question organizations now face is not whether they should prepare for the post-quantum era, but how quickly they can act before the rest of the market catches up.

Secure your infrastructure for the quantum era. Discover how Patero’s CryptoQoR™ can protect your critical communications today with seamless, future-ready encryption.

Contact Patero@carahsoft.com for more information about how to get started.

Carahsoft Technology Corp. is The Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider, supporting Public Sector organizations across Federal, State and Local Government agencies and Education and Healthcare markets. As the Master Government Aggregator for our vendor partners, including Patero, we deliver solutions for Geospatial, Cybersecurity, MultiCloud, DevSecOps, Artificial Intelligence, Customer Experience and Engagement, Open Source and more. Working with resellers, systems integrators and consultants, our sales and marketing teams provide industry leading IT products, services and training through hundreds of contract vehicles. Explore the Carahsoft Blog to learn more about the latest trends in Government technology markets and solutions, as well as Carahsoft’s ecosystem of partner thought-leaders.”

The Top 5 Insights for Government from SOF Week 2026

Posted on by Joe Tabatabaian

Defense leaders, industry innovators and policy experts converged at SOF Week 2026 with a shared urgency: the Special Operations Forces (SOF) enterprise is transforming to meet an era defined by overlapping threats, convergence and speed. From the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (OASD) for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict’s (SO/LIC) five-priority framework to discussions about an increasingly transparent battlespace, panels and keynotes showed an enterprise striving to modernize at the speed of relevance.

Across sessions, discussions highlighted the structural challenges facing the SOF community and the solutions emerging to address them, from autonomous systems and open source intelligence (OSINT) to acquisition reform and deeper operator-industry collaboration.

Five critical insights define the path forward for special operations amid intensifying power competition.

A Restructured SO/LIC Enterprise Is Organized Around Five Strategic Priorities

SO/LIC leadership articulated a clear vision for the SOF enterprise creating asymmetric advantages in multi-domain effects, so the joint force wins decisively across the conflict spectrum. Organized around five priorities—people, policies, pioneering, partnerships and prudence—the framework establishes a blueprint for how the enterprise will resource, evolve and operate. Central to this vision is empowering Theater Special Operations Commands (TSOCs) with the authorities, resources and decision-making space to synchronize operations and adapt to rapidly evolving theater conditions.

Acquisition reform is a defining enabler. SOF is positioned as the department-wide pathfinder for requirements and acquisition reform, using mechanisms such as Middle Tier Acquisition (MTA), other transaction authorities and commercial solution openings to field capabilities faster than traditional processes allow. The recently launched SOF Ventures initiative connects TSOCs, science and technology partners and interagency stakeholders with venture capital and private equity, positioning private investment as a direct force multiplier for national security priorities.

Though SOF comprises just three percent of the joint force and less than two percent of the Department’s budget, it delivers outsized strategic impact. Every investment must be evaluated against clear objectives, including whether capabilities are properly resourced, effectively employed and aligned with long-term readiness and lethality requirements for active-duty forces and their families. The Center for Special Operations Analysis Capability (C-SOAC) team will bring independent, data-driven analysis of force design and investment to support those decisions.

The Battlespace Has Become Fully Transparent and Adversaries Are Exploiting It

Tom Swetman, Vice President of Janes, outlined how ubiquitous commercial data collection has rendered the battlespace transparent in ways legacy operational security frameworks were never designed to address. Satellite imagery, mobile device telemetry, social media metadata and commercially available information (CAI) now provide adversaries a persistent, low-cost intelligence capability that rivals traditional collection methods. Every environment is a collection environment, and the volume and fidelity of available data means hiding in the noise is no longer viable.

Adversaries weaponize this environment through pattern-of-life and identity resolution, digital exhaust and metadata exploitation as well as pre-targeting individuals, families and supply chains. They treat OSINT as a formal discipline with dedicated methodology and resources, increasingly outpacing how U.S. forces integrate commercially available data into planning. Brandon Hough, Co-Founder of Anomaly Six, elaborated on the CAI layer, noting that procurement transparency requirements create a parallel vulnerability, enabling adversaries to map supply chains, identify critical suppliers and target the industrial base before a capability reaches deployment.

Mitigation requires moving OSINT and CAI analysis from the margins into core mission planning. Signature management and intelligence collection plans must be developed collaboratively and red-teamed against real-world data environments from the outset of pre-deployment planning. Artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled auditing tools that continuously monitor the digital footprint of deploying forces are becoming operational necessities rather than optional enhancements.

Agentic AI and Edge-Deployable Models Are Transforming Intelligence Delivery

Across sessions, a clear consensus emerged: open source, commercially available and sensor data now exceed what human analysts can synthesize without AI. Agentic AI platforms that autonomously ingest, prioritize and deliver risk intelligence are moving from concept to operational deployment. New platforms enable real-time forecasting and interdiction analysis from mobile device and Software Development Kit (SDK) data. Leaders described the transition toward agentic risk intelligence as a fundamental shift in how the intelligence community approaches the volume and diffuse nature of modern signals.

The practical insight centers on small language models (SLMs). Lightweight, hyper-tuned models deployable at the tactical edge—on vehicles, laptops or sensor platforms—compress the intelligence-to-action timeline without requiring connectivity to enterprise compute infrastructure. Panelists cited commercial platforms such as Snowflake, already used by defense partners for high-performance edge processing and operational environment modeling, as examples of commercial innovation outpacing Government-developed solutions. They called for those capabilities to be integrated into operational architectures rather than rebuilt from scratch.

The integration challenge is equally important as the technology itself. Open source and commercially available intelligence capabilities must be embedded in the planning cycle from the outset, not layered on top of existing intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) collection. Delivering contextual, filtered and mission-relevant information through a unified interface is the operational standard industry partners and program offices must work toward to achieve meaningful decision advantage.

Drone Dominance and Lethal Autonomy Define the Next Generation of SOF Lethality

The Department of War’s (DoW) drone dominance initiative, backed by $1.1 billion to procure 200,000 small drones by 2027, reflects how drones are reshaping future conflict. SOF is positioned to play a pivotal role as an end-user and the pathfinder for validating autonomous systems before scaling across the joint force. The U.S. Special Operations Command’s (USSOCOM) designation as the joint force provider to the Defense Autonomy Working Group (DAWG)—a department-wide effort to integrate autonomous systems that solve combatant command problems—institutionalizes this role and places SOF at the center of autonomy doctrine development.

Directed energy represents a complementary capability set. Leaders identified low-cost, small form factor laser systems and high-power microwave technologies as near-term priorities for counter-unmanned aerial system missions. With the underlying science largely proven, the remaining challenge is engineering systems with the cost, durability and range needed for distributed deployment across the force. The need to prioritize directed energy was established even before recent operational experience with drone swarms accelerated the timeline.

AI’s role in targeting was addressed directly across panels. Aggregating intelligence at scale and speed, deconflicting with allied forces and streaming data into decision cycles enables a level of precision and lethality that was previously unattainable. Building the kill chain of the future means treating AI as an organizing principle for integrating intelligence, fires and maneuver from the outset of system design and operational planning.

Closing the Industry-Operator Feedback Loop Accelerates Capability Delivery

Dual-use technology developers showcased emerging capabilities, from piezoelectric energy harvesting systems that extend unmanned underwater vehicle endurance to AI-powered automatic target recognition platforms that reduce analysis timelines from hours to minutes. These companies share the challenge of navigating the gap between demonstrated capability and funded programs. Moving from proof of concept to fielded system remains one of the defense acquisition ecosystem’s most persistent friction points.

Theater Edge Innovation Labs (TEILs) offer one structural response, moving problem-solving closer to the warfighter so industry partners can test and iterate against specific operational scenarios in days rather than months. The SOF enterprise extends this model into the private capital ecosystem, aligning venture and growth investment with urgent operational needs. Together with other rapid acquisition mechanisms, these initiatives are designed to keep the innovation pipeline flowing and compress the timeline from operator-identified gap to fielded solution.

The critical enabler is a robust, structured feedback loop, which panelists argued that talent is as important as technology in sustaining it. Reducing friction in that pipeline, particularly around clearance timelines and accreditation processes, was identified as a high-priority structural change. Operators who engage directly with industry during testing create valuable data assets that accelerate model development and product refinement. Recognizing operational test data as a strategic asset is among the most consequential investments SOF can make.

Pioneering the Path Forward for Special Operations

SOF Week 2026 reinforced that SOF is not simply integrating new technologies onto existing formations. It is rethinking how it recruits, equips, trains and fights as a technologically advanced and strategically agile force. The five priorities articulated by SO/LIC leadership, the intelligence challenges of a transparent battlespace, the emergence of edge-deployable AI, the acceleration of lethal autonomous systems and the deepening of industry-operator partnerships represent interconnected pillars of a coherent modernization strategy. Sustained success will depend on aligned authorities, cultural transformation around data and technologies that translate strategic intent into operational and tactical advantage.

As Carahsoft, The Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider®, continues supporting defense modernization, insights from SOF Week 2026 inform how industry can partner with SOF to deliver the capabilities required for operational advantage amid intensifying strategic competition.

Explore Carahsoft’s Defense Technology portfolio of leading solutions that support SOF modernization priorities, including AI, cybersecurity, autonomous systems and advanced analytics.

Contact the Defense Team at DOW@carahsoft.com to discuss how Carahsoft’s technology partners can support your mission.

Student Safety and Success: Secure Communications In Education

Posted on by Daniel Calantoni

Teachers, administrators and other staff in education have many regulations to be aware of when communicating with and about students and parents. From the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) to a variety of regulations individual to each state, educators have both a legal and moral obligation to keep their communications transparent, auditable and policy compliant. MultiLine by Movius is a secure, cloud-based, cost-effective solution that provides a unique phone number for professional communications utilizing an educator’s personal device, all while establishing clear and strong boundaries between the two forms of communication.

Communication Channels: Not Just Between Teacher and Student

Communication is a vital part of an educator’s job. Being available for a student and for their parents or guardians to answer questions or address concerns strengthens that relationship and promotes a student’s growth and success. However, there are significant challenges that K-12 organizations face when utilizing unmonitored and unrecorded forms of communication. Without a way to monitor correspondence, organizations open themselves to liability risks with legal and compliance blind spots, especially with sensitive information.

In one case, a staff member inadvertently shared student updates with a non-custodial parent. When the issue came to light, it led to a FERPA review. Because the communication took place on a personal device, there was no accessible audit trail, making it difficult to fully document what occurred and increasing compliance risk for the district.

In another example, district leadership discussed an active investigation via personal text messages. When those messages were later requested, some were unavailable or incomplete, creating challenges with documentation and chain of custody. This situation introduced potential legal exposure, along with additional costs tied to e-discovery and review.

These incidents outline only a few ways K-12 institutions risk compliance violations when communication channels between education staff, students, parents and guardians go unmonitored.

The MultiLine Solution

Regarding mobile communications, there are two main modes that education staff utilize: personal devices or a district-issued devices. Each come with their own drawbacks. Personal devices are convenient and cost-effective, but lack the ability to log, audit and monitor correspondence. On the other hand, district-issued devices have some stricter monitoring capabilities; however, they are expensive to maintain and carrying two mobile devices is inconvenient to staff. An ideal solution to the communication challenges facing K-12 organizations balances the convenience of a personal device and the security of a district-issued device.

MultiLine by Movius is an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered mobile-first experience for voice, Short Message Service (SMS), social messaging and Microsoft Teams. Education staff can download the Movius application on any smartphone, tablet or desktop computer, including any device privately owned by the staff member. Through the application, the user is assigned a secure, district-owned number to the device. This number does not operate under the personal phone’s carrier and does not touch any personal emails, text messages or searches, creating clear separation of personal and professional lines.

MultiLine logs and audits all texts and calls for transparency and accountability, ensuring FERPA, HIPAA and district policy compliance. Every message and call is automatically logged, encrypted with AES-256 and stored in a secure cloud archive, which is accessible by district administrators for monitoring, auditing and parental review. Additionally, MultiLine preserves institutional knowledge through the application, even through staff turnover. As one staff member leaves, their MultiLine phone number can be reassigned to the incoming staff member through the Movius administrative portal. Overall, MultiLine reduces legal exposure and supports risk mitigation.

School districts face budget shortfalls and increasing pressure to stretch every dollar while providing the greatest educational experience possible for their communities. In addition to being secure and transparent, administrations need cost-effective communication solutions. Switching to MultiLine from cellular stipends cuts communication costs by over 50%, while adding policy protection, logging and auditability capabilities.

On June 27, 2025, Kentucky enacted Senate Bill 181 (SB 181), requiring public schools to use traceable, archivable and parent-accessible platforms for all electronic communications between staff and volunteers and students. While it is legally codified in Kentucky, there are several advantages to having strict delineations between personal and professional communication methods in education. Having thorough security, logging and monitoring of staff, parent and student digital correspondence not only minimizes noncompliance risk, but ensures that students are getting the most out of their education.

Watch Movius’ webinar “Improving K-12 Student Attendance and Engagement in 2026 with MultiLine” to further explore the advantages of fully monitored and logged communication channels for education professionals.

Carahsoft Technology Corp. is The Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider, supporting Public Sector organizations across Federal, State and Local Government agencies and Education and Healthcare markets. As the Master Government Aggregator for our vendor partners, including Movius, we deliver solutions for Geospatial, Cybersecurity, MultiCloud, DevSecOps, Artificial Intelligence, Customer Experience and Engagement, Open Source and more. Working with resellers, systems integrators and consultants, our sales and marketing teams provide industry leading IT products, services and training through hundreds of contract vehicles. Explore the Carahsoft Blog to learn more about the latest trends in Government technology markets and solutions, as well as Carahsoft’s ecosystem of partner thought-leaders.

Integrating NIST Supply Chain Risk Management into SLED Compliance Programs

Posted on by Jeff Ladner

From data breaches exposing citizen records to cloud outages halting Government portals, supply chain disruptions in State, Local and Education (SLED) institutions have been making headlines lately. According to a 2026 Black Kite report, Public Administration is the most vulnerable industry, with 68% of its vendors having critical vulnerabilities, followed by educational services at 65%.

To protect your institution from vendors’ cybersecurity risks and operational disruptions, your best approach is to implement gold-standard supply chain risk management practices within a cybersecurity framework. Here’s a breakdown of NIST supply chain risk management for SLED teams to help you connect each best practice to your organization’s compliance program.

Why Supply Chain Risk Is Now a SLED Compliance Concern

For SLED entities, supply chain risks have advanced from operational planning and now sit at the center of the compliance programs. Auditors and regulators are asking more pointed questions, going beyond cybersecurity concerns to establish that your organization can:

Maintain a secure global supply chain
Deliver uninterrupted public services
Protect sensitive citizen data
Operate as a reliable partner in Government infrastructure

Vendor Oversight Has Become an Audit and Grant Compliance Issue

During routine audit and grant compliance reviews, auditors and grant makers scrutinize your vendors and third-party systems to establish that you’re in control of supply chain risks. The same scrutiny extends to Federal grant applications, where reviewers assess whether your vendor management approach strengthens the overall project and supports your overall cybersecurity posture.

Cybersecurity Mandates Are Reaching Into the Supply Chain

Cybersecurity requirements at the State and Federal levels reference supply chain security expectations. Frameworks such as GovRAMP (fka StateRAMP) and FedRAMP, along with guidelines from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), extend security protocol beyond your internal networks. These frameworks recognize that modern vendor networks rely heavily on external software and service providers and require you to implement a unified cybersecurity strategy to build resilient networks and reduce the risk of a supply chain compromise.

Education Institutions Face Distinct Vendor Obligations

If your educational institution manages student data, you have distinct vendor-related obligations under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and various State-level privacy laws. When you partner with an external vendor for learning management platforms, communication tools or admin solutions, you must verify they match your organization’s data protection standards and broader information technology controls.

The Risk Extends Beyond Information Systems

The need for your SLED organization to manage supply chain risk goes well beyond securing digital information systems. Supply chain risks can:

Impact important community services
Compromise data integrity
Erode public trust
Create compliance and legal exposure
Disrupt operational continuity and service delivery

What NIST SP 800-161r1 Covers

The broader National Institute of Standards and Technology Risk Management Framework (NIST RMF) addresses how you can manage cybersecurity risks across your information systems. NIST SP 800-161r1 functions as the specialized cybersecurity supply chain risk management (C-SCRM) companion to the NIST RMF.

NIST has organized the NIST SP 800-161r1 recommendations into three sequential stages:

Stage	What It Covers
Foundational Practices	Establishing governance structures, roles and supply chain risk frameworks
Sustaining Practices	Building operational maturity and integrating risk management into processes
Enhancing Practices	Introducing automations and developing predictive risk capabilities

The institute updates the NIST SP 800-161 framework regularly to meet current data privacy and cybersecurity demands. However, your SLED organization doesn’t need to implement all three tiers of supply chain risk management at once. You can start with foundational practices and build incrementally and still meet NIST requirements.

Integrating NIST Supply Chain Risk Management in Your Compliance Program

NIST SP 800-161r1 offers a widely accepted framework aligned with established industry standards for building a supply chain risk management program for your SLED organization. While your approach may vary, here are the key steps to successfully integrate the NIST framework into your compliance program.

Step 1: Map Your Supply Chain and Assign Criticality

To manage supply chain risks, you need a complete picture of your supply network. Conduct a full inventory of your vendors and software providers in every department.

Then, categorize your suppliers based on how failure or disruption in their system could impact your operations or data. NIST SP 800-161r1 recommends you use FIPS 199 impact levels to categorize systems based on their impact (Low, Moderate, High) to inform the overall risk rating of the supplier..

Here are the main actions to execute at this step:

Establish a cross-functional team to oversee your vendor and technology risk.
Define clear roles and responsibilities for managing supply chain risk.
Secure executive support for proper funding.
Standardize how your organization identifies critical suppliers and assesses risk.
Put internal controls in place to monitor compliance and enforce policies.
Embed risk consideration into your supplier selection and procurement processes.
Promote organization-wide awareness of supply chain risk and its impact.

Step 2: Build a Risk Assessment Process for Vendors

Your next step in integrating NIST supply chain risk management into your compliance program is to establish risk management activities for determining whether to continue working with your vendors. The NIST SP 800-161r1 recommends the following best practices to build repeatable vendor risk assessments:

Conduct regular third-party risk assessments to identify emerging vulnerabilities.
Review vendor development practices and software supply chain controls.
Establish continuous monitoring criteria to track supplier performance and risk exposure.
Define a clear risk tolerance threshold and what constitutes acceptable risk.
Standardize how your organization will share risk information with every stakeholder.
Provide targeted training programs that focus on vendor and supply chain risks.
Involve suppliers in contingency planning and incident response readiness.

For this step, you can use a Government GRC software to centralize documentation and automate workflows. The right tools help reduce the manual overhead that makes vendor risk management difficult to sustain at scale.

Step 3: Integrate Supply Chain Risk Into Ongoing Compliance Programs

Embed supply chain risk management into your compliance lifecycle so it aligns with the governance processes of your SLED organization. This step will look different depending on your organization’s existing control frameworks and compliance requirements.

Map your vendor risk findings to NIST 800-53, GovRAMP or other compliance requirements so your supply chain risk data flows in the reporting you use for compliance purposes. Include your vendor risk status in regular risk management reporting for leadership and the audit committee to have risk visibility.

You can also coordinate vendor review cycles with grant renewal calendars and audit preparation timelines so they double as compliance deliverables. Additionally, incorporate supply chain risk expectations into vendor contracts to formalize security requirements and incident notification obligations at the agreement level.

Step 4: Move Toward Continuous Monitoring

Your last step to integrate NIST supply chain risk management into your compliance program is to build ongoing visibility into vendor risk:

Establish supplier risk metrics and track them.
Introduce automated alerts or workflow triggers when vendor status changes.
Use insights from assessments you conduct to identify patterns and develop more predictive approaches to vendor risk before issues escalate.
Automate cybersecurity oversight procedures wherever possible to reduce manual burden and improve consistency.

Treat your supply chain security as a living program that evolves with emerging threats, changing vendor relationships and shifting regulatory requirements.

Build a Program That Serves Both Compliance and Resilience

When your organization offers important State, Local or education services that communities rely on, it’s important to recognize and address supply chain risks. The NIST SP 800-161r1 framework provides the best structure to build your vendor oversight program. A structured platform helps SLED teams manage supply chain risks while remaining compliant with relevant authorities.

See how Onspring’s platform supports supply chain risk management efforts and get a demo today.

Better Together: How Nutanix and AccuKnox Are Securing the Tactical Edge, and Beyond

Posted on by Bill Kalogeros and Phillip Porras

Modern defense operations demand more than connectivity; they demand resilience. As mission environments grow increasingly contested and disconnected, the ability to process intelligence, deploy applications and enforce security at the edge has become a strategic imperative. Nutanix and AccuKnox have built a compelling answer: a tightly integrated platform that pairs the Nutanix Kubernetes Platform (NKP) with AccuKnox’s Zero Trust security layer to deliver a complete, hardened stack, from the software factory to forward-deployed vessels to orbiting satellites. This hardened stack is also hardware agnostic and can be deployed on bare metal tactical servers, and up to IL6+ Govcloud instances. For the Department of War (DoW) architects, system integrators and space operations professionals, the critical question is no longer whether to modernize, but how to do it in environments where reach back is unreliable, swap space is constrained and the cost of failure is operational.

Kubernetes as the Foundation for Tactical Edge Operations

Delivering enterprise-grade infrastructure to physically remote, resource-constrained environments requires more than Kubernetes alone. Kubernetes represents roughly 30% of the solution; the remainder is a curated ecosystem of microservices, service mesh, observability tools and storage integrations that together form a complete operational platform. Without that full stack, organizations risk spending months assembling disparate open source components, only to find that their workloads are still unable to reach production. The NKP addresses this by delivering a pre-integrated, hardware-agnostic solution deployable on bare metal, in the cloud or fully air-gapped at the tactical edge. Whether the use case is a carrier strike group operating disconnected at sea, a forward-deployed Army unit running legacy virtual machines (VMs) alongside containers, or an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) requiring a minimal footprint, NKP provides a single platform capable of self-healing, automated scaling and continuous operation, regardless of connectivity status.

AI Delivery and Agentic Capabilities in Disconnected Environments

In contested environments, artificial intelligence (AI) cannot depend on cloud inference. It must run locally, reliably and securely. Nutanix Enterprise AI layers on top of NKP to provide a managed platform for running Large Language Models (LLMs), Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) systems and agentic AI applications with full GPU support, all within disconnected environments. At a recent TechNet San Diego demonstration, RAG AI was used to surface answers from complex naval system maintenance manuals in seconds, a direct application for shipboard readiness operations. Agentic platforms are now deployed with Army units and fielding requests from naval activities, running fully on NKP hardware aboard vessels and mobile command centers without internet dependency. AI models trained at core installations are pushed to forward-deployed assets, where they run locally and queue updates for synchronization upon reconnection, preserving operational continuity without compromising security or model integrity.

Zero Trust Security Woven Into Every Layer

Security at the tactical edge requires continuous policy enforcement at every layer of the software stack, from code commit to container runtime in the field. AccuKnox integrates below the application layer to enforce least-permissive security policies at the kernel level using eBPF-based telemetry. Its Discovery Engine analyzes applications both statically and dynamically, automatically generating security manifests that accompany each application throughout its full deployment lifecycle. These policies define exactly where an application can communicate, what data it can access and how it may interact with adjacent system components—creating enforcement that is architectural rather than reactive. For acquisition officials and Authorizing Officials (AOs) managing distributed mission systems, the platform also automates the generation of compliance evidence covering Security Technical Implementation Guides (STIGs), Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) and relevant security frameworks, compressing what has historically been a months-long manual process into continuous, audit-ready assurance.

Extending the Stack to Orbit: DevSpaceOps

The Nutanix and AccuKnox partnership extends beyond the terrestrial edge to software-defined satellites and orbital platforms. Modern satellite platforms support containerized payloads, multi-tenancy and high-tempo software updates, and they carry significant security exposure. A representative sample of open source software deployed across current satellite initiatives contains more than 60 million lines of code and upwards of 20,000 CVEs. Unlike ground-based nodes, satellites cannot rely on real-time downlink for security decisions; they require local policy enforcement, runtime monitoring and eventually consistent posture reporting to the ground. The concept of DevSpaceOps, modeled on DevSecOps but adapted to the constraints of orbit, addresses how development teams can certify, deploy and manage satellite software with verifiable confidence, leveraging lightweight versions of KubeArmor, automated SPARTA TTP mapping and orbital security dashboards that give Space Operations Center (SOC) teams constellation-wide visibility into STIG compliance, CVE exposure and runtime violations.

One Stack, Every Domain

NKP delivers the hardware-agnostic, cloud-native platform that enables continuous operations across disconnected, multi-domain environments, from carrier strike groups to Army forward units to orbital constellations. AccuKnox ensures that everything running on that platform is secured, monitored and compliant at every layer of the stack. For defense organizations looking to reduce decision latency, accelerate the Authorization to Operate (ATO) lifecycle and ensure security travels with every workload, this joint solution offers a proven, fielded path forward.

To explore these capabilities in greater depth, including live demonstrations of sensor-to-shooter workflows, orbital security posture management and agentic AI in disconnected environments, watch the full webinar presented by Nutanix and Carahsoft.

Carahsoft Technology Corp. is The Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider, supporting Public Sector organizations across Federal, State and Local Government agencies and Education and Healthcare markets. As the Master Government Aggregator for our vendor partners, including Nutanix, we deliver solutions for Geospatial, Cybersecurity, MultiCloud, DevSecOps, Artificial Intelligence, Customer Experience and Engagement, Open Source and more. Working with resellers, systems integrators and consultants, our sales and marketing teams provide industry leading IT products, services and training through hundreds of contract vehicles. Explore the Carahsoft Blog to learn more about the latest trends in Government technology markets and solutions, as well as Carahsoft’s ecosystem of partner thought-leaders.

OSINT and Executive Protection: A Critical Capability for Modern Security Operations

Posted on by Marty Gryski

As threats to executives, public officials and high-profile individuals continue to evolve, Executive Protection (EP) programs are increasingly reliant on Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) to anticipate, detect and mitigate risk. From online harassment and doxxing to geopolitical instability and lone-actor threats, the modern threat landscape is shaped—and often signaled—by publicly available information.

OSINT has emerged as a foundational capability for EP teams, enabling proactive, intelligence-led security decisions that are faster, more adaptive and more comprehensive than traditional approaches alone.

Why OSINT Matters for Executive Protection

EP is no longer limited to physical security and close-in protection. Today’s threats often originate in the digital domain before manifesting in the physical world. OSINT allows EP teams to monitor and assess:

Online threats, grievances and fixation behaviors
Social media activity and emerging narratives targeting executives
Event-driven risks tied to protests, activism or geopolitical developments
Travel-related threats, including local crime trends and unrest
Digital exposure, doxxing risks and personal data leakage

By analyzing these open-source signals, EP teams gain early warning indicators that can inform protective posture, travel planning and resource allocation.

Supporting Proactive, Intelligence-Led Protection

OSINT enables a shift from reactive protection to proactive threat management. Rather than responding only after an incident or credible threat emerges, EP teams can continuously assess risk and identify patterns that indicate escalation.

Key benefits include:

Threat Identification & Prioritization: Distinguishing between credible threats and background noise
Advance Planning: Enhancing route selection, venue security and travel assessments
Protective Intelligence Integration: Feeding OSINT into broader intelligence and security workflows
Scalability: Supporting protection for multiple executives across global environments

This intelligence-driven approach is especially critical as executives maintain a growing digital presence and operate in increasingly complex security environments.

Ethical, Legal and Privacy Considerations

As with any intelligence activity, OSINT for EP must be conducted responsibly. EP programs must balance threat awareness with privacy, civil liberties and legal compliance, ensuring that collection and analysis focus on publicly available, lawful sources.

Clear governance-defined use cases and analyst training are essential to maintaining ethical OSINT practices while still delivering actionable security insights.

The Growing Role of OSINT in Executive Protection Programs

Across Government, Private Sector and critical infrastructure organizations, OSINT is becoming a standard component of mature EP programs. Whether supporting senior Government officials, corporate leadership or high-visibility executives, OSINT enhances situational awareness and strengthens protective outcomes.

As digital information continues to expand and threats grow more asymmetric, OSINT will remain a vital tool—helping EP teams stay ahead of risk, adapt to change and protect their principals in an increasingly interconnected world.

Ready to Strengthen Your Executive Protection Program with OSINT?

As The Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider™, Carahsoft helps Government agencies, defense organizations and critical infrastructure teams access the OSINT tools and expertise needed to build proactive, intelligence-led protection programs.

Explore Carahsoft’s OSINT solutions and partner portfolio
Contact the Carahsoft to discuss solutions tailored to your EP program’s needs at OSINTVerticalMarketing@Carahsoft.com
Discover the full range of security and intelligence capabilities available through Carahsoft’s contract vehicles at www.carahsoft.com/buy

From Visibility to Zero Trust: Enabling Federal Agency Cybersecurity at Scale

Posted on by Ben Brooks and Sean Gerrity

As Federal agencies accelerate their Zero Trust journeys in response to executive mandates and evolving compliance requirements, cybersecurity leaders face a fundamental challenge: they cannot protect what they cannot see. Zero Trust depends on complete, reliable visibility across modern cloud environments and legacy Operational Technology (OT) systems. Without that packet-level visibility, Zero Trust cannot be effectively enforced.

Closing the Network Visibility Gap

Most agencies rely on Switched Port Analyzer (SPAN) ports to correspond network traffic to security tools, but this approach can leave security sensors with incomplete data, especially in legacy OT environments. Garland Technology’s network Traffic Access Points (TAPs) address this directly. Passive hardware TAPs sit in line between network devices, duplicating traffic for monitoring tools. TAPs carry no Media Access Control (MAC) or Internet Protocol (IP) address, making them invisible to adversaries and work across virtually any vendor ecosystem without creating new visibility constraints.

For environments that need strict one-way data flow, hardware data diodes add another layer of protection. They enforce unidirectional traffic at the circuit level, replacing or working alongside existing SPAN or mirror ports without requiring a full infrastructure overhaul. With National Cross Domain Strategy & Management Office (NCD SMO) certification in its final stages, hardware-based data diodes offer Federal agencies a compliance-ready path to enforce one-way traffic.

Distributing Visibility Intelligently with Packet Brokers

Complete network visibility across a Federal environment involves more than a single TAP or sensor. Traffic moves across multiple links, environments and speeds, and it must be routed to the right monitoring and security tools. Network packet brokers from Garland Technology help agencies receive data from multiple sources and distribute them.

Packet brokers make large-scale visibility manageable through capabilities including:

Aggregating traffic from multiple feeds
Filtering relevant data streams
Load balancing across tool sets
Deduplicating redundant packets
Slicing and timestamping packets for precision analysis
Tunneling traffic across segmented environments

These features reduce overload and improve monitoring performance. In practice, packet brokers can feed targeted traffic simultaneously into Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) platforms, intrusion detection systems, network performance monitors and other sensors.

In OT environments structured around the Purdue model, packet brokers typically sit at the operations systems level, aggregating traffic from TAPs and SPAN ports at lower network layers and routing it upward, through data diodes where required, into the tool sets where security teams can act.

Converging IT and OT for Zero Trust Compliance

Zero Trust is accelerating IT and OT convergence. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) framework, along with agency-specific guidance, demands continuous verification of users, devices and applications across the entire network. This is especially challenging because many OT devices in Government networks are decades old and cannot support software updates or inline security tooling without disrupting critical operations.

A practical approach is to leave those systems in place while using network TAPs to pull traffic from legacy OT devices without interrupting operations. That allows security platforms to analyze activity, apply threat intelligence and enforce policy at the network level without touching the devices themselves.

This visibility also enables virtual patching. When a firewall platform can identify an OT device’s version and known vulnerabilities, it can block traffic patterns associated with known threats at the network level without interrupting critical operations. Security teams can also tailor the virtual patching profile to the devices in their environment, resulting in a consolidated, visual asset inventory that maps how OT devices are organized across the network.

A Unified Security Fabric for Continuous Assessment

Zero Trust depends on multiple capabilities working together, including identity, access permissions, segmentation, policy enforcement and continuous assessment. At Federal scale, those functions are most effective when they are integrated rather than spread across disconnected tools. That is where Fortinet Federal brings its security fabric alongside Garland Technology’s visibility infrastructure.

A unified next-generation firewall platform, Fortinet Federal’s FortiGate platform combines routing, Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN), segmentation and threat detection into a single operating system, FortiOS, reducing blind spots. FortiGate also extends visibility across switches and wireless access points, enabling security teams to enforce policy more consistently across users, devices and applications.

This consolidated visibility supports Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) by applying consistent policy and authentication standards across remote and on-premises users. Threat intelligence further strengthens this model by continuously updating and distributing protections across the environment. FortiGuard Labs sustains this visibility and enforcement through a global threat intelligence network that continuously feeds into Network Operations Center (NOC), Security Operations Center (SOC), Security Orchestration, Automation and Response (SOAR) and SIEM platforms, enabling teams to investigate threats and respond in a coordinated manner.

A Trusted, Compliant and Isolated Security Supply Chain

For Federal agencies, Zero Trust readiness also depends on the integrity of the security supply chain. Security tools must come from vendors with the structure, compliance posture and operational safeguards required for Federal deployment.

Fortinet Federal delivers industry-leading cybersecurity and secure networking capabilities to the U.S. Government through a dedicated, independently operated and federally aligned organization. Its purpose is to serve as a trusted mission partner—providing validated, secure supply chain assurance as well as high-performance and cost-efficient technology.

On the visibility side, Garland Technology’s American-manufactured hardware purpose-built for network TAPs, packet brokers, inline bypass and data diodes helps agencies scale to full-time continuous monitoring architectures without requiring major platform changes or vendor transitions.

Building Toward a More Secure Future

The path to Zero Trust in Federal environments requires the right partners working together. Garland Technology provides purpose-built visibility infrastructure that reliably delivers packet data across IT and OT environments without disrupting legacy systems or creating new points of failure. Fortinet Federal’s federally vetted, supply-chain-isolated security platform turns that visibility into enforceable policy through threat intelligence, network segmentation, ZTNA and continuous assessment. Together, Garland Technology and Fortinet Federal give agencies the integrated foundation needed to implement Zero Trust at scale, protect critical infrastructure and stay ahead of evolving threats.

To learn more about achieving packet visibility and Zero Trust at scale, watch Fortinet Federal and Garland Technology’s webinar, “From Visibility to Zero Trust: Enabling Federal Agency Cybersecurity at Scale.”

Carahsoft Technology Corp. is The Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider, supporting Public Sector organizations across Federal, State and Local Government agencies and Education and Healthcare markets. As the Master Government Aggregator for our vendor partners, including Fortinet and Garland Technology, we deliver solutions for Geospatial, Cybersecurity, MultiCloud, DevSecOps, Artificial Intelligence, Customer Experience and Engagement, Open Source and more. Working with resellers, systems integrators and consultants, our sales and marketing teams provide industry leading IT products, services and training through hundreds of contract vehicles. Explore the Carahsoft Blog to learn more about the latest trends in Government technology markets and solutions, as well as Carahsoft’s ecosystem of partner thought-leaders.

Hybrid AI That Moves with the Mission

Posted on by Ryan Simpson and Shane Shaneman

Federal missions operate across complex, distributed environments, from secure data centers to cloud enclaves and tactical platforms in disconnected conditions. Artificial intelligence (AI) must now match this operational agility.

Hybrid AI integrates cloud, on-premises and edge compute, enabling intelligence where and when it is needed. Whether inside a SCIF, within a FedRAMP-moderate enclave or in contested environments, hybrid architectures ensure trusted intelligence is continuously available to support mission outcomes.

Why Hybrid AI is Mission-Critical for Federal Agencies

As mission data becomes more dynamic and dispersed, centralized compute models alone cannot meet operational demands. Agencies must process, generate and act on information securely, whether in the field, across partner networks or in highly regulated environments.

Hybrid AI brings compute to the data, respecting governance and sovereignty while maintaining flexibility. AI capabilities must function reliably in environments where connectivity is degraded or unavailable, and where data cannot move freely due to classification or jurisdictional constraints.

This ensures real-time inference and decision support at the point of need while safeguarding CUI, PII and FOUO data under FISMA, EO 14110 and Zero Trust principles. AI-powered insights remain accessible even when the network does not.

The Technology Foundations of Mission-Ready Hybrid AI

Data sovereignty is essential
Agencies must process, train and infer within regulatory boundaries, maintaining full control of sensitive data across its lifecycle, from edge ISR streams to classified model development. Containerized and optimized AI software must run flexibly across accelerated environments, from enterprise cloud to air-gapped data centers.

Infrastructure must scale seamlessly
Hybrid environments enable compute to move across core, cloud and field deployments, keeping AI aligned with changing mission needs.

Accelerated computing powers mission AI
Advanced generative and deep learning models demand high-efficiency, accelerated compute platforms. Hybrid AI leverages this capability to deliver high-throughput, low-latency insights not only in data centers but also at the tactical edge—essential for mission-aligned generative AI and emerging agentic applications.

Interoperability drives flexibility
Containerized AI microservices and API-driven architectures ensure seamless integration with mission platforms like health and geospatial, while enabling secure, policy-compliant operations across hybrid environments. Architectures should also support flexible integration of retrieval pipelines and evolving data governance models, ensuring mission intelligence is grounded in trusted, up-to-date sources.

Real-World Applications: Hybrid AI in Action

Agencies are applying hybrid AI today to extend mission capabilities beyond what centralized architectures allow.

In public health, sovereign data platforms combined with edge analytics support real-time outbreak modeling and informed containment planning. Disaster response teams ingest and analyze aerial imagery and IoT data locally, providing actionable insights even when disconnected from central networks.

Generative AI is transforming document-centric workflows. It accelerates the summarization of complex reports and regulatory analysis while maintaining strict control over sensitive content.

Sovereign AI innovation is advancing rapidly. National AI clusters allow agencies to train and refine models domestically, ensuring compliance with governance mandates while enhancing operational independence. Many of these efforts begin under SBIR, OTA or BPA contracts and evolve into modular architectures that scale with mission requirements.

Key Considerations for Building Hybrid AI

Hybrid AI success requires intentional architecture, policy fluency and alignment with mission realities.

Architectures must enable agility, supporting rapid adaptation to evolving mission needs, data sources and model advancements. Flexibility ensures AI remains relevant as both operational risks and opportunities evolve. Hybrid environments should also be designed to support emerging model types, including multi-modal, agentic and retrieval-augmented AI, and to accommodate evolving policy mandates.

Interoperability is essential. Open, standards-based pipelines and containerized services enable integration with evolving toolchains, partner ecosystems and commercial innovation while maintaining governance.

Federal leaders are using hybrid architectures to operationalize responsible AI principles outlined in EO 14110. Early alignment with procurement vehicles—OTAs, GWACs and BPAs—ensures scalable, policy-ready architectures. High-impact use cases, such as edge-deployed generative AI assistants and sovereign model training pipelines, continue to demonstrate the value of this approach.

Next Steps for Federal AI Leaders

Hybrid AI represents an inflection point for Federal missions. Leaders who invest in scalable, policy-aligned AI infrastructure today will be positioned to harness tomorrow’s AI innovations at mission speed.

By supporting secure, accelerated AI capabilities across edge, cloud and on-premises environments, hybrid architectures help agencies maintain operational advantage in any scenario. The focus is not just on deploying AI models, but on building adaptive infrastructure that delivers intelligence wherever the mission requires it.

Hybrid AI architectures also lay the operational foundation for the emerging era of AI Factories—systems that continuously generate, adapt and deploy intelligence at scale, across mission environments.

Federal leaders who establish this foundation today will ensure that AI serves the mission with the trust, agility and resilience it demands—and with the flexibility to evolve alongside the accelerating pace of innovation.

Deploy AI in Days, Not Months: The Infrastructure Imperative for Mission-Aligned Models

Posted on by Shane Shaneman and Ryan Simpson

What makes one agency able to move artificial intelligence (AI) into mission production in days, while another still navigates the same barriers months or even years later? The answer isn’t technical talent or budget alone. It’s whether infrastructure is intentionally built to support velocity, trust and scale.

As Federal leaders sharpen their focus on operational AI, speed is becoming the key differentiator. Not speed for its own sake, but speed that is purposeful, compliant and aligned with outcomes the public and the mission demand. Moving AI from pilot to production quickly now defines AI leadership in Government.

Rethinking AI Readiness for Federal Missions

Simply demonstrating isolated AI successes is no longer sufficient. Federal agencies are now expected to embed AI into core workflows, drive outcomes and uphold public trust. CAIOs are shifting focus from pilots to impact. That shift requires more than technical oversight; it demands leadership that can drive operational change and enable the workforce to prioritize higher-value work.

Scaling mission-aligned AI requires rethinking old norms. Agencies embracing this shift are achieving faster deployments, greater agility and increased transparency, while others risk getting stuck in pilot mode without the proper foundation.

Building the Foundation for Mission-Aligned AI

Reliable acceleration comes from an intentional foundation, not shortcuts. Agencies moving AI from concept to capability consistently align strategy, data, infrastructure, teams and governance from the outset.

Mission Strategy First

Successful AI efforts prioritize mission impact over technical novelty. Clear goals ensure leadership, infrastructure and resources move in sync toward measurable outcomes.

Data That Moves at Mission Speed

AI needs fast, secure access to trusted structured and unstructured data. Retrieval-based architectures anchored in vetted sources support both performance and privacy.

Scalable, AI-Optimized Infrastructure

Traditional IT can’t handle AI’s demands. Agencies moving at mission speed rely on infrastructure optimized for accelerated computing and seamless operations across domains.

Integrated, Agile Teams

Scaling AI takes more than data science. Cross-disciplinary teams aligned on outcomes and able to deliver in agile cycles are key.

Compliance as an Enabler

Built-in transparency and risk management turn compliance into an asset. Agencies that embed governance early shorten ATO timelines and boost public trust.

A Roadmap for Responsible Acceleration

Moving fast without structure is risky. Moving fast with structure enables repeatable, responsible AI delivery. A maturity roadmap helps agencies balance acceleration with alignment to Federal guidance.

1. Baseline Assessment

Clear visibility into current data maturity, infrastructure readiness, governance posture and workforce capabilities helps agencies prioritize investments. Addressing common gaps, like fragmented data pipelines and siloed teams, systematically gives AI initiatives a foundation that scales without risk.

2. Mission-Driven Objectives

Successful AI leaders define what “mission success” looks like in concrete terms. This discipline prevents overbuilding, keeps efforts tied to operational outcomes and builds clear value stories to sustain leadership support.

3. Phased Testing Environments

Test beds and controlled environments provide space to validate AI approaches before full production. These environments foster safe iteration, surface governance needs early and create reusable patterns that accelerate future deployments.

4. Continuous Model Feedback

AI systems must adapt over time, not just at launch. Embedding continuous monitoring, performance tuning and user-driven feedback ensures models remain mission-relevant and trustworthy as operational contexts evolve.

From Use Case to Outcome: What Speed Requires

Agencies moving AI into production quickly focus on the right use cases. Logistics optimization, document analysis and fraud detection are examples of areas where AI at mission speed delivers immediate benefit.

Another key enabler is avoiding unnecessary reinvention. Pre-trained, enterprise-grade models tailored to agency needs dramatically reduce development time.

Modern platforms that support containerized deployment and orchestration of AI microservices across cloud and on-prem environments accelerate this process. Agencies gain flexibility to optimize cost, performance and control based on mission needs. Modular, adaptable architectures also help avoid lock-in and support evolving policy and security requirements.

Security and compliance must be integrated from day one. Systems aligned with FedRAMP, FISMA and Executive Order 14110 requirements to avoid rework that can stall even well-intentioned efforts late in the process.

The Capabilities That Make Rapid AI Possible

To deploy AI at mission speed, infrastructure must deliver scalability, explainability, risk management and collaboration-readiness.

Systems must handle expanding data sources, dynamic mission demands and increased user load without degradation. Models must produce outputs that analysts, operators and oversight bodies can trust and interpret.

Ethical risk management must be proactive, not reactive. Bias checks, audit trails and transparency must be built in from training through ongoing monitoring. Collaboration across agencies and partners must be seamless to maximize impact and minimize duplication of effort.

These capabilities must be grounded in alignment with Federal frameworks such as the AI Risk Management Framework and GSA’s AI guidance. Infrastructure that is “policy-ready” supports faster delivery and greater trust in outcomes.

Leading with Principles That Scale

For Federal AI leaders, the challenge is scaling AI to deliver real mission outcomes while maintaining public trust. Success requires investing in scalable, policy-aligned infrastructure and fostering a culture where speed and governance go hand in hand.

Sustainable, enterprise-wide impact demands leadership that connects vision with execution. The CAIO must drive cross-agency collaboration, operational change and continuous feedback to keep AI responsive to evolving mission needs.

Fast, Mission-Driven AI is Achievable—If You Build for It

Deploying AI in days—not months—is possible when infrastructure, strategy and culture align to support it. Agencies embracing this imperative are setting the pace for responsible, impactful AI in Government.

When AI systems are grounded in mission need, accelerated by the proper infrastructure and governed with intention, they enable something bigger: a Government workforce empowered to focus less on routine tasks and more on the high-impact decisions and public outcomes that matter most.

For Federal AI leaders, the opportunity is now: to move from pilot to production with velocity, governance and trust—and to deliver mission outcomes at a speed that matches the urgency of the moment.