{"id":10579,"date":"2025-05-09T18:23:51","date_gmt":"2025-05-09T23:23:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.carahsoft.com\/wordpress\/?p=10579"},"modified":"2025-05-16T08:41:04","modified_gmt":"2025-05-16T13:41:04","slug":"carahsoft-technet-cyber-tradeshow-blog-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carahsoft.com\/wordpress\/carahsoft-technet-cyber-tradeshow-blog-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"TechNet Cyber 2025: Top 5 Insights on Zero Trust, Interoperability and More\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Technology is a vital part of the United States Department of Defense (DoD)\u2019s capabilities, making security and enhancements essential to the nation’s stability and growth. AFCEA International\u2019s flagship event, TechNet Cyber, emphasizes the role of cybersecurity and IT within the DoD. Alongside its partners, such as such as Amazon Web Services (AWS)<\/a>, Everfox<\/a> and Ciena<\/a>, Carahsoft attended TechNet Cyber to support DoD mission objectives. Carahsoft maintains a unique position in the defense industry with the ability to connect DoD and intelligence community (IC) personnel, Government IT decision-makers, thought leaders and industry and vendor partners. At this year\u2019s conference, leaders and operators in the IT and Defense Department joined to network, facilitate problem solving and explore ways to expedite and secure the procurement process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Expanding Zero Trust: \u201cFlank Speed\u201d is Ready to Scale\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To safeguard against potential cybersecurity attacks, the DoD is working to secure its networks with Zero Trust, a security strategy focused on identity, credential and access management. In the session \u201cDoD Zero Trust Success Stories,\u201d David Voelker, Zero Trust Architecture Lead for the Department of the Navy, discussed recent initiatives to bolster Zero Trust within Flank Speed, the Navy\u2019s single enterprise Microsoft 365<\/a> solution that provides productivity tools, collaboration tools and OneDrive storage. The Department of the Navy is planning to conduct autonomous penetration testing to determine the quality of Zero Trust capability implementation. Last year Flank Speed met 151 of 152 Zero Trust activities, meeting target far ahead of schedule. Flank Speed is the Navy\u2019s single enterprise Microsoft 365 solution that provides productivity tools, collaboration tools and OneDrive storage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another speaker, Ian Leatherman, the Zero Trust Strategy Lead for Microsoft U.S. Federal, discussed key takeaways from Microsoft\u2019s<\/a> work with Flank Speed. Visibility into agency networks is critical to emboldening existing Zero Trust strategies. Mr. Leatherman stated, \u201cWhen in doubt, collect the telemetry: you never know what new or novel adversary techniques you may find.\u201d Knowing exactly how many endpoints, applications and users are on the network at any given time positions the DoD to swiftly deal with incoming threats. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leatherman also discussed recent initiatives to involve all Navy personnel in a cybersecurity strategy; security is more than a technology solution, but a way to ensure safety within the agency. David Voelker, Zero Trust Architecture Lead at the Department of the Navy echoes this statement. While the Zero Trust Portfolio Office set their DoD-wide Zero Trust adoption target as the end of fiscal year 2027, Flank Speed is already operational. Voelker notes that the Flank Speed configuration could be lifted and shifted to other customers in the DoD, with a quick deployment time of under 24 hours. Mr. Voelker also recommends automating this shift.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carahsoft and our vendor partners offer several cybersecurity solutions to help Government agencies implement Zero Trust<\/a> architectures that protect critical information and reduce national security risk. Our offerings align with Public Sector Zero Trust maturity models developed by NIST, the DoD and CISA.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How Mission Objectives Drive Acquisition\u00a0\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Acquiring powerful, up-to-date technology enables the DoD to protect against persistent and increasingly sophisticated cyber-attacks. The DoD aims to streamline its procurement process to maintain pace and safeguard against attacks. In the session \u201cDoD Software Modernization Senior Steering Group,\u201d speaker Sean Brady, Senior Lead for Software Acquisition Enablers at the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense (Acquisition and Sustainment), explained that there are two key drivers to this transformation. The first is mission objectives; software should be tailored to allow the DoD to adapt its systems to rapidly changing threats. The second is access to commercial innovation, which allows the DoD to access products in weeks or months rather than years.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Digital Transformation for Operational Effectiveness\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Digital transformation in the DoD is crucial for maintaining pace with an increasingly technology-driven security environment. Thomas W. Simms, Principal Deputy Executive Director for Systems Engineering and Architecture at the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, discussed the major digital transformation efforts within the DoD. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The main four are: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA)<\/a>, a congressional requirement that integrates technical and business strategies to promote acquisition and drives modular designs <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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    1. The DoD\u2019s Digital Engineering Instruction<\/a>, which requires programs to use digital engineering in their design process <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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      1. Application Program Interfaces (APIs), a ruleset that allows communication between software applications and is driven by the DoD\u2019s API <\/a>guidebook, which enables the DoD to become more data-centric   <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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        1. The DoD\u2019s System Engineering <\/a>Guidebook, which is currently undergoing an update to incorporate guidance from the Secretary of Defense\u2019s latest memos  <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

          By modernizing legacy systems and enabling the DoD to acquire the newest and greatest in IT, these initiatives enhance operational effectiveness and improve decision-making speed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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          Fast-Tracking Authority to Operate (ATO)\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

          In the defense industry, technology must be approved to mitigate security risks. The Software Fast Track (SWFT),<\/a> a process that expedites software verification within the U.S. Government, is changing the way the DoD manages risks and conducts Authority to Operate (ATO). Contractors can get involved with the latest software acquisition and risk management changes by participating in the three recently released requests for information (RFIs).  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

          These RFIs, which close May 20th<\/sup>, are: <\/p>\n\n\n\n