The DoD Doesn't Want to "Pull a Snowden"

Let’s face it.  Few organizations address security proactively.  They do it because of a regulatory mandate, or they do it because something happened.  In the case of the federal government, sometimes both.  Without getting political on the Edward Snowden situation, he certainly made everyone to think more about security.  As a result, organizations in all industries are scrambling to ensure an insider doesn’t “Pull a Snowden” and put them at risk.  Hey, I just coined a term!

The DoD is taking security seriously, so much so that it’s limiting use of smart devices until a suitable security solution is rolled out (and stay tuned… we have some exciting news there!).  Even then, it’s a phased, multi-layered approach.  Secure mobility is a dynamic and complex market; there is no silver bullet, and challenges won't be solved overnight.  In fact, it gets worse: tomorrow's challenges for enablement and data protection aren't even realized yet.  When they become apparent, hot new technology will answer, but it will have to meet strict assurance requirements before it can be deployed.  A perfect storm, indeed.

Strong security, while not always glamorous, helps people stay out of the news, and that's exactly what the DoD wants.  It goes deeper and is even more real than that: a security or data breach can mean a hit to your reputation and potentially a loss of market cap.  In the case of DoD, it can mean a loss of life.  Scary.

The DoD's renewed commitment means substantial opportunity for mobile security solution providers.  This is good news for our industry.  Earning a piece of that pie has the opposite effect of a breach - it builds reputation and market share for your solution!  The stakes are high, but you know the hurdles and the barriers to entry.  You can’t get to the table unless you meet FIPS 140 compliance requirements.  It's absolutely required by the DoD.  And you have to act fast.  Certain vendors have already completed their validation, more are in progress and cutting through the red tape, and some particularly smart solutions are leveraging SafeLogic's RapidCert to ensure that they are ready and eligible to bid on these upcoming contracts.

Are you prepared for the RFPs?