New York, Mar 28:
The Pentagon is pushing to overhaul its information technology systems. Officials say outdated networks and cyber risks could hurt military readiness.
Defence Chief Information Officer Kirsten Davies outlined the plan at a House hearing. She said the department is driving a “bold transformation” to turn technology into a “decisive warfighting advantage.”
“Our focus is to enable data supremacy and decision superiority,” she said.
Lawmakers said strong networks are critical. “If the networks don’t work well, nothing else will,” said committee chair Don Bacon.
Davies described four main priorities.
First, the Pentagon plans to modernise its network backbone. This includes cables, satellites and 5G systems. She said 5G is already deployed at most US military installations.
Second, the department will replace outdated systems. Davies said legacy IT remains a major problem. “Legacy IT does pose quite a significant problem,” she said.
She said many old systems are not updated. That makes them harder to secure.
Lawmakers agreed. Some described federal systems as slow and outdated. They said this hurts efficiency and security.
Third, the Pentagon will strengthen cybersecurity. Davies said the department is moving away from “checklist driven compliance.”
Instead, it will use a risk-based model. This includes automation and continuous monitoring. The department is also expanding “zero trust” security.