Secure data is superior data: A security-first approach to the DoD Data Strategy

The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) is focusing on a security-first approach within its data strategy to leverage vast data reserves as a strategic asset, enhancing operational decision-making and gaining battlespace advantage. Central to this strategy is the VAULTIS framework, which emphasizes that data must be visible, accessible, understandable, linked, trustworthy, interoperable, and secure. Elastic, a search-powered analytics platform, partners with the DoD to provide a secure and flexible data mesh that supports data protection throughout its lifecycle, employing Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) for encryption and access controls like RBAC and ABAC. This ensures that data remains protected, searchable, and accessible only to credentialed users, thus operationalizing security as a foundational principle for all other goals in the DoD Data Strategy. Elastic's Search AI Platform enhances data usability by enabling secure and dynamic data access policies, supporting joint operations with tools like Kibana for intuitive data visualization and sharing. The overarching aim is to ensure data is secured, allowing it to be a force multiplier in both military and strategic contexts, with Elastic continuing to assist in achieving interoperability and trustworthiness across the DoD's data initiatives.