Army Chief Information Officer to Focus on Software, Data Policymaking

Leonel Garciga, the Department of the Army’s chief information officer and a past Potomac Officers Club event speaker, said he will focus on crafting cybersecurity, data and software policies to keep pace with the private sector.

At the recent TechNet Augusta conference, Garciga stated that while the service has made strides, it is lagging behind “everybody else”. He said his priority is to identify “critical enablers” in policy to codify the Army’s software and data advancements.

He added that his first task is to issue interim guidance for pressing matters while working on broader reforms. Some short-term rules are near completion, including guidance to secure software containerization.

Garciga also wants to standardize public data usage on government platforms. He said protections for Department of Defense data and personal information are needed.

Garciga noted that the Army is planning to solicit proposals for new data platforms in 2024 and that he expects the capabilities to support data strategy implementation and scaling efforts, Federal News Network reported.