Zero Trust is widely considered to be the future of security for protecting networks, systems, and data in both commercial and public sector organizations.
The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has been making significant strides in modernizing its cybersecurity infrastructure in response to a presidential mandate to adopt a Zero Trust architecture. One of the key initiatives driving this transformation is Thunderdome, a groundbreaking Zero Trust network access and application security architecture developed by the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA).
Versa Networks has recently been chosen to provide SD-WAN, Zero Trust access, and Customer Edge Security Stack (CESS) functions for Thunderdome. Together these functions deliver a Zero Trust Edge capability to secure network access for both remote and on-network users.
The drive towards Zero Trust
The U.S. federal government’s transition towards a Zero Trust approach to cybersecurity has been accelerating in response to an evolving and increasingly sophisticated cyber threat landscape. A 2021 executive order on “Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity” emphasized the need to modernize cybersecurity practices and adopt a Zero Trust architecture.
To meet these objectives, federal agencies have been working towards achieving specific, mandated Zero Trust security goals. As the Office of Management & Budget memorandum stated:
“In the current threat environment, the Federal Government can no longer depend on conventional perimeter-based defenses to protect critical systems and data. … A transition to a “zero trust” approach to security provides a defensible architecture for this new environment.”
In response to these mandates, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) unveiled its Zero Trust Strategy and Roadmap, with the goal of implementing these Zero Trust capabilities and activities by FY27.
DISA’s Zero Trust architecture
Within the U.S. Department of Defense, the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) is dedicated to providing command, control, information-sharing capabilities, and a globally accessible enterprise information infrastructure.
They directly support joint warfighters, national-level leaders, and mission and coalition partners across various military operations including the White House, Pentagon, military services, combatant commands, and defense and federal agencies.
In 2021, DISA delivered the initial Zero Trust cybersecurity reference architecture for the U.S. Department of Defense, to help the U.S. military maintain information superiority on the digital battlefield.
Understanding Thunderdome
Thunderdome is DISA’s cutting-edge Zero Trust network access and application security architecture. Thunderdome brings together an array of IT and cyber-based technologies, including enterprise Identity, Credential, and Access Management (ICAM), commercial Secure Access Service Edge (SASE), and software-defined networking and security tools to provide unparalleled protection and reliability.
According to DISA’s press release announcing the award of the Thunderdome production agreement:
“Thunderdome will harden the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) networks and help warfighters defend against adversarial activity by employing network and resource access tools along with segmentation technologies. DISA’s Thunderdome capabilities work in concert with identity and endpoint cybersecurity capabilities, and align to the president’s Executive Order on Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity and the DoD’s Zero Trust Strategy.”
Versa Networks selected for Thunderdome
Versa has been selected to provide Zero Trust Edge capabilities within Thunderdome, including SD-WAN, Zero Trust access, and Customer Edge Security Stack (CESS) functions. This represents a significant milestone for the company, and Kelly Ahuja, Versa CEO, expressed the company’s excitement about being part of Thunderdome:
“We’re deeply thrilled to be selected as part of Thunderdome, which is pioneering the application of Zero Trust to secure network access for both remote and on-network users. This selection further establishes Versa as a premier provider of secure networking and Zero Trust networking technology.”
Traditional network and security infrastructure has utilized a best-of-breed approach by stitching together multiple point products, but this has led to higher complexity and cost.
Versa’s Zero Trust Edge approach instead offers a platform-based strategy delivered by Versa Unified SASE. This approach, built on a Zero Trust foundation, leverages a single platform to deploy a network, with threat and data protection built in and with AI embedded in every edge. The result is a faster, more comprehensive, and less error-prone threat detection capability coupled with a better user and application experience.
Versa partnership with Booz Allen Hamilton
To arrive at this milestone, Versa has worked closely in strategic partnership with Booz Allen Hamilton, which was awarded a follow-on production other transaction authority (OTA) agreement for at-scale deployment of Thunderdome.
Under this agreement, Booz Allen will broadly implement and operate Thunderdome’s zero-trust network access and application security architecture. Imran Umar, a vice president spearheading Booz Allen’s Zero Trust practice, stated:
“While organizations around the world are embracing the tenets of zero trust, DISA is truly pioneering the deployment of zero trust network access for both remote and on-premises users. We are excited to work with Versa to provide SD-WAN, Zero Trust and CESS functionality to help deliver this vision.”
Conclusion
In an age where cybersecurity threats are ever-evolving, Thunderdome’s innovative approach to delivering Zero Trust across the Department of Defense Information Network is paving the way for a more secure and resilient U.S. DoD. Versa Networks is proud to have been selected to support this important mission.
The Versa Team comprises the engineers, architects, and security practitioners behind VersaONE, the Universal SASE Platform. Their writing reflects over a decade of deploying a single-pass architecture from a single code base across 180+ service providers and securing networks from branch to cloud for thousands of global enterprises.