ACT-IAC Announces Federal IT Planning Guides
1. IT Modernization Plans
2. Cloud Computing Adoption Plans
3. Zero-Trust Architecture Plans
In May 2018, the Federal CIO Council Services, Strategy, and Infrastructure Committee asked ACT-IAC to evaluate the technical maturity, availability for procurement, and important issues related to potential federal agency adoption of zero trust cybersecurity. Zero trust approaches could radically transform and improve cybersecurity and data protection and sharing. And, the Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions (EIS) contract could provide the means for agencies to acquire those capabilities. The project began with market research, presentations and demonstrations, and evaluation of the underlying trust algorithms. The report was completed on April 18, 2019. Click here to read the report.
The push to convert federal networks, systems and devices to a zero trust security architecture is accelerating, with the release of three new draft guidance documents as part of the White House administration’s push to improve the nation’s cybersecurity.
Federal officials said Wednesday they see a path to "meaningful progress" on zero trust across government agencies in three years with the help of tight deadlines featured in President Joe Biden's cybersecurity executive order.
It wasn’t that long ago that zero trust was an aspirational goal for federal agencies. While the benefits seemed obvious, actual implementation was difficult to imagine. Now, zero trust efforts are starting to power up. The Defense Information Systems Agency has issued the first version of its zero-trust reference architecture, and Federal Chief Information Security Officer Chris DeRusha has said the White House will push all federal agencies toward a "zero trust paradigm."
Just a few years ago, zero trust security for federal systems was wishful thinking. The benefits were obvious, but actual implementation seemed inconceivable. Today, forward-leaning agencies are actively incorporating zero trust into their security models, and Federal Chief Information Security Officer Chris DeRusha has said the White House will push all federal agencies toward a "zero trust paradigm."
As Federal agencies look to modernize their cyber defenses and move to zero trust architecture, Trusted Internet Connection (TIC) 3.0 guidance will help push them along the path, with help from a zero trust use case that is in the pipeline, the TIC program manager said on April 29.
ACT-IAC Zero Trust Project Briefing
May 6, 2021
At the meeting, the ACT-IAC Zero Trust project team described their work related to potential federal agency adoption of zero trust security and modernizing cybersecurity.
AGENDA
ACT-IAC White Paper Zero Trust Report: Lessons Learned from Vendor and Partner Research
Developed by the Cybersecurity Community of Interest
Released: May 5, 2021
Federal agency leaders agree that zero trust is a journey that will take time to implement but, with modern-day cyber threats, the sooner agencies implement zero trust the better.
The Executive Committees of ACT and IAC, joined by members of the ACT-IAC professional staff, gathered together to: (1) identify key topics and issues that government will need to address in the years ahead, and (2) then develop a set of top goals for ACT-IAC to pursue for the next three years—2021-2023. This work began with a conversation about our purpose and value proposition, recognized the strengths that have sustained us for over 40 years and the new world that we will face in the years ahead.