Modernizing Defense Through Zero Trust, AI, and Software Innovation

Original Broadcast 5/11/25

Presented by Okta & Carahsoft

This special episode of Fed Gov Today was recorded on location at TechNet Cyber. The episode explores how the Department of Defense is evolving its IT, cybersecurity, and software infrastructure. Host Francis Rose interviews leaders driving change across the federal landscape—from zero trust and AI adoption to modern software factories and agile development. 

Zero Trust, Data on Demand, and Empowering the Workforce

Outgoing Air Force CIO Venice Goodwine shares the sweeping IT changes she has led since taking office in August 2023. Chief among them is the implementation of zero trust across the Department of the Air Force, in alignment with DoD CIO mandates. Goodwine also highlights the rollout of Enterprise IT as a Service, ongoing base infrastructure modernization, and the launch of a new AI Center of Excellence designed to foster responsible AI usage across mission sets.

She emphasizes the central role of data in enabling decision-making at speed and scale, supported by the department’s new “data on demand” initiative and data cataloging framework. Goodwine also explains how automation—especially AI-enabled—will help streamline risk management, base telemetry analysis, and cybersecurity. Looking ahead, she plans to monitor the continued progress of infrastructure modernization and the success of the AI Center in cultivating a skilled, AI-literate workforce.

To prepare that workforce, Goodwine prioritized innovation and empowerment, establishing an “innovation landing zone” that has already generated warfighter capabilities. By decentralizing authority and encouraging airmen and guardians to make localized IT decisions, she believes the Air Force is creating a more agile, responsive IT culture.

• Zero trust is being implemented at the data and application layers to allow secure access across networks, devices, and locations.

• A new AI Center of Excellence is focused on both responsible use and workforce development, while data cataloging enables real-time, informed decisions.

• The Air Force is investing in innovation landing zones and empowering airmen and guardians to make local IT decisions aligned with mission goals.

Driving Zero Trust Through Interoperability and Smarter Procurement

Sabrina Lea, Federal Sales Director at Okta, offers a software vendor’s view of zero trust implementation across government. Rather than selecting tools based on checklists, she encourages agencies to prioritize how security tools communicate with one another. She underscores the importance of shared signals—for example, between identity and endpoint solutions—as essential to achieving the layered, responsive posture that zero trust requires.

Lea urges agencies to favor vendors that support open standards and come with pre-built integrations, enabling interoperability without proprietary lock-in. She also critiques the traditional RFI and RFP processes, which often lead to the selection of legacy technology. Instead, she recommends smaller, more targeted RFIs to deliver quick wins and maintain forward momentum in IT modernization efforts.

On the acquisition front, she welcomes recent guidance promoting the use of Other Transaction Authorities (OTAs), which allow for more flexible, rapid procurement cycles. She adds that retaining technical talent inside government is equally critical for sustaining modernization progress.

• Effective zero trust depends on shared signals between security layers—identity, endpoint, and more—not just meeting technical requirements.

• Open standards and pre-built integrations reduce vendor lock-in and ensure systems work together seamlessly.

• Smaller RFIs and innovative procurement mechanisms like OTAs help agencies access cutting-edge technology faster.

Scaling Software Modernization with Cloud, Culture, and AI

George Lamb, Director of Cloud and Software Modernization in the DoD Office of the CIO, outlines how the department is evolving beyond experimental programs to institutionalized, enterprise-wide modernization. Anchored in three strategic goals—cloud adoption, software transformation, and culture shift—DoD’s approach is delivering results through consistent software factories, continuous ATO processes, and alignment across services.

Lamb describes how the services, particularly the Navy and Army, are now treating their software portfolios like businesses—consolidating, standardizing, and securing their development pipelines. Software factories have matured from isolated innovation hubs to integrated engines for rapid, secure delivery, with defined funding models and governance. He credits this shift with helping programs like JADC2 advance more efficiently.

Looking ahead, Lamb points to the integration of AI as a transformative force, both for accelerating software development and enhancing mission outcomes. The DoD’s 2025–2026 plan addresses using AI to improve software engineering productivity and to deploy real-time decision support in production environments. Lamb also teases the release of a new report—developed with Carnegie Mellon’s Software Engineering Institute—assessing the current state of DevSecOps across the department and laying the groundwork for future improvements.

• The DoD’s software modernization is structured around three pillars: cloud adoption, consistent development practices, and a cultural shift.

• AI is being used both to improve software development efficiency and to support decision-making through production-grade integration.

• Services are consolidating and standardizing their software factories, with new policies and acquisition pathways supporting agile cycles and continuous delivery.