Mission Assurance: The Pros & Cons of DoD Tools

As year-end approaches, the December edition of our newsletter shines the spotlight on a favorite gift of the festive season: Tools. Department of Defense Tools, to be exact.

Just how important are DoD tools?

“We now face a strategic competitor in the People’s Republic of China with access to cutting-edge research and development and the will to mount a sustained challenge to a stable and open international system. This represents a clear challenge to the DoD’s technological edge." 

- 2023 National Defense Science & Technology Strategy (NDSTS)

👉 The NDSTS will guide the DoD's S&T investments for the next four years, and DoD tools will be critical to achieving this mission. Given the stakes, are DoD tools fit for purpose?

While critical for mission success, DoD tools come with their own set of complications. For starters, they require substantial investment in time and money, which can be a barrier for smaller agencies. 

Though essential for protecting classified, sensitive information, their advanced security features often result in complex systems that necessitate rigorous approval processes and can be difficult to marry with other technologies. 

While the DoD's IT infrastructure enables warfighters to operate effectively in the twenty-first century, the complexity of its networks and IT reduces its ability to secure its information systems and hampers its ability to share information. 

👉 But all is not lost. 

The DoD understands these challenges and is working to consolidate its IT infrastructure to deliver a streamlined, rationalized, and simpler network. In addition, they are investing in cloud computing, automation, and AI to increase the flexibility and speed of their systems. 

👉 The Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and DoD agencies are rushing to build their joint cyber tech stacks, decreasing clutter and harnessing AI and automation to reduce complexity - DoD tools are indispensable in this wave of modernization. 

The DoD's Enterprise Software Initiative (ESI) is a model of efficiency. By centralizing the acquisition of software, they can reduce costs significantly. 

The DoD Procurement Toolbox is broad enough to manage the procurement of advanced materials and microelectronics needed to improve performance and reliability in military equipment and systems. 

The DoD Records Strategy supports the Pentagon’s drive to integrate systems to enhance awareness and decision-making by ensuring accessible, dependable records for improved operations and data-driven advantage.

The DoD’s Software Modernization Strategy is designed to accelerate the creation of solid software systems. It’s improving the interface between military personnel and machines and propels military computing to bolster decision-making.

A quote from National Defense Strategy 2023 summarizes the state of DoD tools.  

 “Transforming software delivery times from years to minutes will require significant change to our processes, policies, workforce, and technology.” 

👉 Interoperability and data-driven capabilities are paramount based on direct experience with our IPKeys service support team, who are actively engaged and working hands-on with these DoD tools.

The challenges of using DoD tools have prompted the development of alternative solutions like IPKeys ClaaS®, a next-generation platform designed to streamline and improve the usability of DoD tools. Below is an overview of the pros and cons of the DoD tools we use most and often and how ClaaS can potentially offer enhancements:

🛡️CSAM (Cybersecurity Assessment and Management):

• ✅ CSAM is effective for cybersecurity assessment and management, providing a complete view of an organization's security posture and compliance.
• ❎ The tool can be complex and time-consuming, with a steep learning curve requiring significant training and expertise.
• IPKey ClaaS® simplifies the user experience, reducing preparation and management time while maintaining rigorous cybersecurity standards.

🛡️eMASS (Enterprise Mission Assurance Support Service):

• ✅ eMASS is crucial for risk management, offering robust features for documenting and managing the RMF (Risk Management Framework) process.
• ❎ Its complexity and the detailed nature of the process can make eMASS cumbersome, often requiring extensive documentation and user training.
• By integrating with eMASS, Claas streamlines data entry and management, making the RMF process more efficient.

The DoD is committed to ensuring its tools are mission-ready, user-friendly, and efficient to enhance the nation’s defense capabilities and operational lethality. 

IPKeys ClaaS®, with its potential to make existing tools more straightforward and practical, offers a promising avenue for enhancing DoD capabilities. Talk to us about a demo: [link].

👉IPKeys CLaaS®  provides the ability to manage risk from a holistic view with an excellent user experience that abstracts away the complexity and nuances of many of today’s utility cyber tools.

Have you interacted with these or other DoD tools? Care to share your frontline insights with us?

Till next time,

Art

VP of Cyber, IPKeys