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Department of the Air Force Conducts Zero Trust Brainstorming Event

  • Published
Arlington, VA --  

 

Key DAF stakeholders converge to discuss implementation strategy and timelines to meet the DoD ZT PfMO's Strategy and align with NIST 800-207

The recently established Department of the Air Force Zero Trust Functional Management Office hosted its first “zero trust” brainstorming event in Arlington, Virginia, June 27-28.

The effort is part of the Department of Defense’s Zero Trust Strategy, a cybersecurity model that requires continuous verification of all users and applications on digital networks using active-monitoring software.

“Zero trust is an evolving set of cybersecurity paradigms that move defenses from static, network-based perimeters to focus on users, assets and resources,” said Jason Bonci, chief technology officer for the Department of the Air Force Chief Information Office.

The brainstorming event’s purpose was to develop a framework for implementation of zero trust across Department of the Air Force networks.

“We are implementing this framework because it has the potential to drive real, positive impact for our warfighters,” said Justin Stolpman, director of the Department of the Air Force Zero Trust Functional Management Office.  “We can become a far more effective, agile Air Force as we recapture the warfighting advantage of IT by leveraging the Zero Trust Framework.”

The Department of the Air Force Zero Trust Functional Management Office plans to continue to host brainstorming and planning events.

“We cannot lose focus or get fatigued on these topics,” Bonci said. “We know from industry that it will take five to ten years to make meaningful progress. Often, the disillusionment cycle spins faster than the delivery cycle, and so we will have to combat those natural human tendencies [in order] to be successful.”

In addition to the Department of the Air Force Zero Trust Functional Management Office, participants in the event included members of the Secretary of the Air Force Chief Information Officer, Air Combat Command, Air Force Materiel Command, Chief Data and Artificial Intelligence Office, 16th Air Force information warfare unit and the Space Force.

The Department of the Air Force Zero Trust Functional Management Office is assigned to Air Combat Command to direct and coordinate all zero trust activities across the Department of the Air Force.