Original Broadcast Date: 10/11/2026
Presented by Commvault and Carahsoft
The Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) is embracing artificial intelligence, advanced analytics and a more diverse workforce to keep pace with an increasingly complex cyber threat landscape. Joshua Flowers, Executive Assistant Director of Operational Technology and Cyber Innovation at NCIS, says the agency's ability to innovate, adapt and collaborate is becoming essential to protecting the Navy and Marine Corps.
The nature of criminal investigations is changing dramatically. Where investigators once rely primarily on witness interviews, photographs and traditional evidence collection, today's cases involve enormous volumes of digital information that demand new tools, specialized expertise and faster analysis.
For Joshua Flowers, Executive Assistant Director of Operational Technology and Cyber Innovation at NCIS, this transformation represents both a challenge and an opportunity.
"We're really dealing with now is a race to innovate and adopt and adapt," Flowers says during an interview on Fed Gov Today.
With more than two decades of investigative experience, Flowers sees firsthand how technology is reshaping the agency's mission. Nearly every criminal or counterintelligence investigation now involves substantial digital evidence, making the ability to collect, process and analyze information increasingly important.
NCIS is responding by equipping agents and analysts with tools that help them navigate complex datasets, accelerate investigations and deliver results more efficiently.
The objective, Flowers explains, is to operate at the speed of relevance while helping victims of crime.
AI Brings New Capabilities, but Human Judgment Remains Essential
Artificial intelligence is becoming an important part of that technological evolution.
Flowers sees opportunities to use AI to examine large datasets and streamline investigative processes. However, he emphasizes that law enforcement faces requirements that distinguish its use of technology from other organizations.
NCIS investigators must collect and process evidence with potential criminal prosecutions in mind. That means maintaining accountability throughout the investigative process and ensuring someone can explain the agency's methods in court.
"There's always a human involved," Flowers says.
Rather than viewing AI as a replacement for investigators, Flowers considers it a tool that helps professionals perform their responsibilities more effectively.
"I don't think it's a matter of man versus machine," he explains. "It's a matter of a human using a machine appropriately."
That approach reflects NCIS's broader commitment to responsible innovation. Flowers describes the agency as enthusiastic about emerging technologies, particularly when they improve efficiency and support military readiness.
For NCIS, those benefits ultimately extend to the Navy and Marine Corps personnel the agency serves.
Cyber Threats Are Changing the Investigative Playing Field
The expansion of cyber threats is also transforming how NCIS approaches counterintelligence.
Flowers explains that counterintelligence remains a longstanding responsibility for the organization. What changes is the environment in which investigators operate.
Traditional investigative techniques, tactics and procedures still apply, but the cyber domain creates a different playing field.
Geography becomes less of a constraint as investigators confront threats that can originate or operate across international boundaries.
Supporting those investigations requires a stronger technological foundation.
Flowers compares the agency's infrastructure requirements to a tree that must grow in multiple directions. Its roots represent the foundational capabilities needed to support increasingly sophisticated operations.
Data storage is particularly important, along with the ability to develop, adapt and deploy software that strengthens field investigations.
Computer scientists and other technical specialists play an important role in identifying available technologies and tailoring them to operational needs. 
Technology is only part of the transformation.
Flowers says modern investigations increasingly require teams with different professional backgrounds and technical capabilities.
When he joins NCIS more than 20 years ago, the organization operates primarily around special agents. Today, its workforce includes analysts, cyber defense analysts, operational computer specialists, computer scientists and digital forensic examiners.
That diversity reflects the growing complexity of investigations.
Cases that once might be handled by an individual agent now demand collaboration among multiple specialists, often extending beyond NCIS itself.
International partnerships are becoming especially important as the agency supports Navy and Marine Corps operations around the world.
Flowers says NCIS increasingly seeks employees who embrace innovation, think creatively and adapt to changing circumstances.
The agency also needs professionals willing to work globally.
"We go where the Navy and Marine Corps goes," Flowers explains.
His own career reinforces that perspective. Over 21 years, Flowers moves approximately 10 times, serving in locations including Tel Aviv, the Philippines and Japan.
Those experiences shape what he describes as an enterprise perspective, helping him understand how headquarters decisions affect investigators operating in distant locations.
Building the NCIS of Tomorrow
Looking ahead, Flowers identifies workforce diversification, advanced analytical capabilities and stronger cyber expertise as central priorities.
He says discussions with NCIS leadership focus on how the organization can restructure, modernize and grow to meet emerging operational demands.
The agency's future depends not simply on acquiring more technology, but on developing people who understand how to use it effectively.
For Flowers, the priority remains clear: build a workforce of creative problem-solvers, provide them with increasingly capable investigative tools and ensure they can support the mission wherever the Navy and Marine Corps operate.
As digital evidence expands and cyber threats evolve, NCIS is working to make innovation a fundamental part of how it investigates crimes, conducts counterintelligence and supports military readiness.