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The Defense Information Systems Agency says it has the capacity to be the “go to“ cloud computing source for the Defense Department.
While there has been much talk about private cloud and commercial cloud solutions for federal departments and agencies, DISA wants DoD to think inside the box, or more accurate ““ inside the pentagon ““ when it comes to cloud services.
In an interview with Nextgov, DISA CTO Dave Mihelcic said his agency was “uniquely positioned“ to be DoD“™s leading cloud provider.
Mihelcic touted DISA“™s ability to meet the military“™s cloud security requirements, while at the same realizing data center consolidation and the cost-savings considered a cornerstone of the Office of Management and Budget“™s “cloud-first“ policy.
The 2011 Defense Authorization Act directed DoD to assess both the government“™s cloud offerings as well as commercial ones.
But as cloud builds buzz, the security implications of such migrations have also raised some eyebrows. And, Mihelcic told Nextgov the best way to ensure the Pentagon“™s data would be secure is to use its cloud.
To bolster his efforts, he provides specs for DISA“™s cloud:
- DISA is home to 14 global data centers carrying the storage capacity of more than a billion four-drawer filing cabinets in total, according to Nextgov.
- Its cloud is connected using DoD“™s global broadband network
- DISA“™s applications are operated by its GIG Content Delivery System, based on technology developed by Akamai Technologies.
- DISA is also developing transportable data centers, in the form of shipping containers
Despite the still-foggy future, DISA has seen some success in the cloud already. In October, the agency began hosting a cloud platform for the Army“™s email.
