The last few years have brought about rapid technological changes on a global scale; and as a result, the difficulty of securing, operating, expanding, and maintaining a healthy IT ecosystem has increased in tandem. This is particularly true when it comes to legacy environments where outdated components will no longer be supported and become costlier to maintain – something the military will continue to deal with until systems are upgraded, or fresh, cost-effective solutions are designed to integrate old tech with new tech.  

NDIA – Defense Leaders Forum 2022  

The 2022 Defense Leaders Forum gave attendees the privileged opportunity to hear from the United States Navy (USN), Unites States Marine Corps (USMC), Unites States Air Force (USAF), United States Space Force (USSF) and the United States Army (USA) which, illuminated the imperative and immediate need to modernize our defense forces, something reflected in the DoD (Department of Defense) FY23 budget.  

There are plans for significant investment in each military branch in areas that promote and encourage innovation and modernization. This includes an emphasis on education, training, and recruiting to attract the tech-savvy warfighters of tomorrow. Part of this – and part of overcoming the technological obstacles of the future – means the older infrastructure and existing legacy systems in place currently will need to be upgraded or replaced entirely for the U.S. to best prepare for the next generation of warfare. 

Some of these needs include:  

• Upgraded sensors – for advantage in recon/counter-recon competition.  
• Upgraded networks – providing the ability to rapidly sense, make sense and act upon info inside an enemy’s engagement zone.  
• Strengthening strategic partnerships – the security of our nation’s future depends on collaboration. 
• Weapons testing – more lethal, effective weapons; allowing our military to dominate any fight. 

Wide-spread modernization in these areas (and more) will propel the defenders of our nation to victory on the battlefield, in the air, and in space. It will allow forces to be ready to fight when required, where required. Without the necessary upgrades our military will be vulnerable to the increasing amounts of data leaks, security breaches, and cyber attacks occurring daily. Consider the recent log4j exploit for a reminder of the types of issues and hazards of security vulnerability that can (and will) continue to develop if these issues are not properly addressed.  

Ready or Not – The Future is Digital 

Team NetCentrics’ answer to existing problems like these is: Wraith ^TM. Completely unique due to its fluidity between cloud, on-premises, and hybrid environments, Wraith is a flexible solution that can be rapidly deployed and removed without a trace. Its capabilities are cloud service provider agnostic and include NIST crypto tunneling and near-instant software deployments. This SaaS solution is designed with future warfighters and the security of our nation front of mind.  

Modernization is the path where national security and cyber security intersect. The development of the new and transformative tech required to defeat our adversaries in all realms lies in the hands of the cyber and IT industries. Creative, intelligent teams with advanced capabilities who possess the ability to design and implement next-level tech solutions (while simultaneously considering existing pain points and steadfast requirements) will be the ones to elevate our military to where we need to be in the years ahead.