DOD Principal Deputy CIO: Modernization, Cybersecurity a Priority to Combat Cyberthreats

Leslie Beavers, principal deputy chief information officer at the Department of Defense, has unveiled the department’s modernization plans on cloud, cybersecurity, customer experience and wireless connectivity to improve cybersecurity. 

Speaking at the Defense IT Summit on Friday, Beavers, a 2024 Wash100 winner and a Potomac Officers Club speaker, said modernization and cybersecurity are part of how the DOD plans to deter cyberthreats targeting the government and society.

She discussed plans for completing the zero trust architecture rollout by 2027, the next phase of the Joint Warfighting Capability Cloud contract and 5G deployment plans, GovCIO Media and Research reported.

On plans to introduce a Chief Customer Experience Office, Beavers said that the office will help the DOD go beyond having modern information technology equipment and focus on modernization’s sustainability.

The department has been focusing its resources on ensuring that its technologies are secure and meet government needs. In January, it issued a clarification over who is responsible for ensuring the security of cloud services at a FedRAMP moderate level.