Partnerships necessary to bolster DISA, DOD CIO zero trust, JADC2 priorities

To remain competitive within the cyber domain against state actors like China and Russia, the Defense Information Systems Agency must continue establishing solid partnerships to accelerate and implement next-generation technology and innovative warfighter solutions, the agency's lead officer said Monday.

"Our primary goal at DISA is to support America's warfighters by getting the right information to the warfighter when he or she needs it,"

said Air Force Lt. Gen. Robert J. Skinner, DISA director and Joint Force Headquarters-Department of Defense Information Network commander.

"This means integrating different programs to ensure connectivity from DISA headquarters to the frontlines,"

Skinner added during the DISA Forecast to Industry 2022 conference in Towson, Maryland.

The Department of Defense has aligned initiatives and capabilities under the National Defense Strategy to maintain an integrated deterrence against state actors and other threats, said John Sherman, DOD chief information officer.

However, the impact of more than 20 years of counter insurgence operations has resulted in a "technical debt" across the Defense Department -- specifically in the cyber survivability of weapons and other military systems.

"We are going to have to be able to send forces into places where the electromagnetic spectrum is going to be highly contested," Sherman explained. "We have adversaries that are [highly] cyber capable and operating every day to try to get in our systems."

Sherman said that exploiting a cyber vulnerability could create a similar impact when compared to a physical attack on a location or system. As program offices evaluate each capability to identify and correct any issues, the department will look to industry and academia for additional support.

Air Force Lt. Gen. Robert J. Skinner, DISA director and JFHQ-DODIN commander, and John Sherman, DOD chief information officer, join for a fireside chat during the DISA Forecast to Industry 2022 conference. (DISA photo by Erika Alverio)

Further, prioritizing command and control is DISA's top priority, as the agency continues to support initiatives to achieve the department's vision for Joint All-Domain Command and Control.

"JADC2 is about speed. It is [secure] data where [and when] it is needed," Sherman said, adding that assured JADC2 bolsters the military's ability to operate on the tactical edge.

Under JADC2, DISA provides decision makers and the warfighter with the correct data to help them make informed decisions in real time.