VA CDO Says Collaboration, Data Interoperability Critical to Effective Cybersecurity Measures

Kshemendra Paul, the chief data officer of the Department of Veterans Affairs, said collaboration and data interoperability could benefit cybersecurity efforts, but it would take a whole-of-government approach to get the best results.

Speaking at the 2022 ACT-IAC Cybersecurity Forum, Paul posited that working with the Chief Information Security Officer community, the CDO Council and other experts from the private industry and the academia is key to developing minimum interoperability standards. He also noted that a whole-of-government approach will be essential in creating an effective enterprise-level cybersecurity effort.

According to the CDO, cybersecurity standardization works if there is effective data governance. This aspect, he said, could lead to the harmonization of zero trust efforts and cybersecurity strategies, GovCIO reported.

The VA’s current data strategy uses a holistic approach that focuses on stewardship, analytics, technology security, governance and workforce training. The department is also building additional frameworks that focus on IT modernization and zero trust.

The agency is also using a human-centered perspective for data sharing and data security. According to Paul, a human-centric approach maximizes the impact of the services that the organization provides. He added that the approach is aligned with an evidence-based policymaking act.

With continued improvements to data management and security, Paul said there will always be dangers. With that, he shared that having the best security protocols is essential so officials will be able to share data without compromising security controls. He said data and information sharing security will be something that the VA will look at in the coming years.