As the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC) addresses an evolving threat landscape and heightened demands for secure and rapid data sharing, a newly released report from GDIT provides strategic insights aimed at aiding the IC in achieving its critical modernisation objectives. The report, titled “Navigating the Intelligence Community IT Roadmap,” addresses significant challenges the IC currently faces while suggesting tested technological capabilities that can enable intelligence agencies to maintain a strategic edge against adversaries.
Launched in conjunction with the IC’s five-year IT roadmap, the report underscores the importance of fostering seamless collaboration, improving data sharing and management, and facilitating the quick adoption of the latest technological innovations within intelligence operations.
One of the highlighted technology solutions is DeepSky, described as a private, multi-cloud, on-premises data center environment designed by GDIT. This facility allows for the testing of emerging technology and security capabilities in collaboration with government agencies and associated partners. “It’s really difficult to ingest massive amounts of data from a bunch of tools and make it usable for an engineer, an analyst or an executive. So DeepSky helps make those tools work together,” stated Ryan Deslauriers, director of cybersecurity at GDIT.
Another significant offering detailed in the report is the Mission Partner Environments (MPEs), which represent a next generation of interoperable networking and data exchange frameworks. Initially aimed at military unit coordination, these environments enable secure and selective sharing of sensitive information with trusted military and coalition allies. “MPEs make it possible to take a full report, break out what can and can’t be released, and push it to the appropriate network virtually and automatically so that information gets to relevant users where they are in a timely fashion,” noted Jennifer Krischer, a former U.S. Air Force intelligence officer who is now vice president for defense intelligence at GDIT.
The report also introduces Raven, a mobile command centre technology suite developed by GDIT that is designed to fit in the back of a truck. It employs the data mesh concept in mobile settings, allowing operators to collect and disseminate data from remote locations directly to users on the ground as well as the enterprise. “Raven is an example of how GDIT enables teams to conduct their mission without having to develop, build, maintain, and operate the services internally,” remarked Nicholas Townsend, senior director at GDIT.
Additionally, GDIT’s Federated Data Fabric is presented as a solution that creates a cohesive data environment through a central service platform. This platform streamlines data curation, management, and dissemination, enabling users to access data regardless of source or security level. It allows users at the network’s edge to discover, request, publish, and subscribe to information within a federated network environment.
In addressing workforce needs, the report highlights GDIT's unique focus on recruiting and training professionals with substantial defence, intelligence community, and technical expertise, ensuring they comprehend the mission's requirements. “Our workforce two to five years from now will need to be different from what it is today and prepared to take advantage of new technology,” stated Chaz Mason, mission engineering and delivery lead at GDIT. In light of this, GDIT has doubled its investment in tuition and technical training programmes in 2023, with more than 20,000 employees having participated in cyber, AI, and cloud upskilling programmes.
Currently, GDIT employs a workforce of 30,000 professionals across over 400 locations in 30 countries, with approximately 25% being veterans. The report sheds light on how GDIT's vendor-agnostic technology and extensive government customer experience can significantly contribute to the enhancement of the Intelligence Community's data-sharing capabilities.
Source: Noah Wire Services