Securing Government Data (S1E26)

People always tend to underestimate the difficulty in securing data in a large enterprise. When it comes to the military, the problem is amplified because the data is time-sensitive, immense, and can be on the move. This is a discussion that looks at securing government data by looking at the challenges presented in a federal environment and then some of the initiatives to make sure sensitive data is secure.

Jeffery Phelan of Rubrik gives the perspective of a trusted partner who provides guidance on securing data to both the Air Force and the Navy.

Thomas Sasala observes that not only does the Navy have to concern itself with the quantity of data, but it has a wide variety of data as well. We expect to hear that the typical forward-looking infrared radar feed is generating about six megabits per second. But beyond that, there are thousands of sensors on ships and planes as well as simulation data, regression testing data, and much more. If that is not enough variety, Thomas Sasala reminds listeners that the Navy’s financial management system handles a few million transactions per day.

Both branches of the service are implementing innovation to help secure data.

Jeff Lush talks about one solution offered for the Air Force. Rather than worry about every nook and cranny being compliant he uses the Air Force’s Cloud One. That assures that anything stored there is in a known secure environment.

The Navy has proposed sixteen initiatives to secure data. Categorizing data seems to be the first place to start. It would be a wasted effort to spend money on protecting data that is not sensitive. There is also an effort to make users understand the importance of the quality of data.

Additionally, the Navy is attempting to come up with an all-encompassing platform that gathers information from many systems. The name the Navy is giving to its huge data platform, “Jupiter.” This will resonate with sailors, because it harks back to Jupiter, the Roman god of the sea.

In this complicated, rapidly changing environment, leaders need to get a handle on the implications of any investment. The Jupiter platform gives decision-makers dashboards to provide technical as well as financial information for projects in the Navy.

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