State Department Advances Adoption of Cloud-Based Data Storage

The Department of State is continuing to reduce its physical data centers in high-risk overseas locations as it transitions to using cloud-based data storage.

According to Keith Jones, the department’s chief information officer, migrating to the cloud enables agency personnel to access data from a multitude of devices, FedScoop reported Thursday.

Utilizing innovations such as cloud technology is one aspect highlighted in the State Department’s enterprise data strategy, which was released in September. The strategy highlights the department’s goal of cultivating a data-focused culture, accelerating decision making through analytics and achieving enhanced data governance.

According to the strategy, emerging technologies like cloud allows the department’s workforce to expand data-informed insights.

Jones added that, besides increasing data access, the move to reduce the agency’s physical data storage locations resulted in operational cost savings and helped advance efforts to adopt zero-trust security.

“We continue to reduce data storage at locations worldwide, thereby reducing our exposure to high threat locations,” he explained at the Fortinet Security Transformation Summit.

Zero trust has grown to become an integral part of agencies’ cybersecurity strategies in the wake of evolving threats to federal networks.

In a May executive order, President Joe Biden highlighted zero trust as a critical component to improving the nation’s cybersecurity. The security movement is gaining momentum in the federal government, with three of the most recent Technology Modernization Fund awards focusing on accelerating agency transition to zero trust.