Dan O’Donohue, Senior Vice President of Strategic Programs at Owl Cyber Defense

Original Broadcast November 3, 2024

Presented by Owl Cyber Defense

Bridging Edge Computing and Data Sharing Across Civilian and Defense Agencies

Dan O’Donohue, Senior Vice President of Strategic Programs at Owl Cyber Defense, discusses the pivotal role of edge computing and secure data sharing in strengthening national response capabilities between the Department of Defense (DoD) and civilian agencies. While the DoD has pioneered edge computing solutions due to pressing security threats, O’Donohue emphasizes that similar data-sharing capabilities are now critical for civilian agencies, especially for crisis responses to natural disasters and infrastructure vulnerabilities. Effective data exchange across agencies, often working with different data standards and classification levels, presents both technological and cultural challenges. O’Donohue highlights the long-standing culture of over-classification within the DoD, which restricts data mobility and prevents the seamless flow of critical information in high-stress scenarios. To address this, he advocates for AI and decentralized data mesh technologies, which create flexible, real-time data environments to support rapid, on-the-ground decision-making. He further explains that cross-domain solutions, which prevent malware intrusions and secure classified information, enable real-time data sharing essential for both tactical and strategic operations.

Key Takeaways:

1. Civilian agencies must adopt DoD-style edge computing and secure data-sharing capabilities to respond more effectively in crisis scenarios.
   
   
2. Breaking down data silos and addressing over-classification is crucial to support real-time, cross-agency information sharing.
   
   
3. Continuous experimentation and feedback loops enhance edge computing solutions, improving adaptability for defense and civilian missions alike.