Special Operations Command\u2019s Office of the Chief Information Officer\/J-6 is undergoing a significant modernization plan, one that is revolves around agile software development process and improving data analysis processes, officials said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Speaking to the virtual Special Operations Forces Industry Conference May 14, leadership from the SOCOM CIO\/J-6\u2032s office outlined modernization priorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
SOCOM\u2019s IT office runs the fourth largest DoD network and supports 80,000 users across the globe. The SOCOM modernization strategy has four-prongs: global mobility, information discovery and algorithmic novelty, cyber dominance and operationalizing innovation, according to Lisa Costa, the command\u2019s top IT official.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDigital modernization is a lot like life. It\u2019s not the destination, it\u2019s the journey,\u201d Costa said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here are four areas the CIO team discussed:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A new software development platform<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n
SOCOM is 18 months into its DevSecOps journey, according to Rick Jarrell, chief of strategy in the CIO\u2019s office. The command is using a software development platform it named \u201cAgile Dagger,” which has developed several applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Agile Dagger involves programming in Java, Java Script, Python, PHP and .NET Core. Those languages \u201chave the most developer staff that we can get access to,\u201d Jarrell said, adding that the program has delivered \u201cfive or six significant apps” in the last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jarrell said he\u2019s working with SOCOM to change contract language to require contractors to develop software using the Agile Dagger platform because it provides automated security testing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf you code in our Agile Dagger platform … then it\u2019s ready to go the week it\u2019s done,\u201d Jarrell said. \u201cYou\u2019re not waiting 120 days for Dr. Costa\u2019s signature because you build it in our platform [and] we know what\u2019s in there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jarrell said that they are also working to improve their penetration testing for software, calling SOCOM\u2019s current security processes \u201csporadic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t have a really solid solution there,\u201d Jarrell said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Improving data efficiency<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n
SOCOM leaders also want to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of global data transfers. Costa said a major piece of the command\u2019s modernization plan is to reduce the transfer of massive datasets in favor of transporting only the data that is necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t want to move data around the globe, we want to move algorithms to the data, process that information and then send back only that [data] which is necessary,\u201d Costa said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Overcoming the talent shortage<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n
SOCOM, based out of Tampa, Fla. is using interns from local universities to work on development projects. To do so securely, SOCOM has been doing cloud-based work on Impact Level 2, which removes security clearance barriers, as well as the need to get intern common access cards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One challenge that SOCOM\u2019s still working to overcome is improved delivery of suited for a mobile experience. Jarrell said his team doesn\u2019t have enough mobile developers<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The command is also looking to partner with academic centers of excellence, service labs and initiatives, and industry for help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo single organization has all of the coding [and] data science talent out there that we need,\u201d Costa said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
COVID-19 changes<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n
The CIO\u2019s office increased remote desktop services to employees to take stress off SOCOM\u2019s virtual private network infrastructure. Jarrell said the team is working on a project to allow for \u201ctens of thousands\u201d of users to have a cloud-based remote desktop on personal devices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOur new normal might be a couple of days of telework a week. Why do we all have to come in when we proved very productive like this?\u201d Jarrell said. \u201cWe\u2019re just trying to lean forward and enable the command do to that globally.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
SOCOM’s CIO leadership discussed several initiatives underway to improve data and software.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":39905,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":38,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":{"10":{"categories":["daily-news-roundup","newsletters"],"primary_category":"daily-news-roundup"}}},"categories":[7,8,106,29,13,35,38,32],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3252],"class_list":["post-15501","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-battlefield-tech","category-c2-comms","category-daily-brief","category-home","category-industry","category-c2-comms-battlefield-tech","category-mobility","category-newsletters"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"S4TCR23LA5H5PAQRZNO76NFO5U","arc_canonical_url":"\/c2-comms\/mobility\/2020\/06\/08\/four-areas-socoms-chief-information-officer-wants-to-modernize\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"\n