How a Greenfield Solution Enables Zero Trust
A greenfield approach becomes especially valuable as agencies see implementation of zero-trust frameworks edge higher on their list of priorities. Many legacy systems were not built with security top of mind; more often, cybersecurity solutions were bolted on after the fact, making it difficult to implement the holistic, end-to-end security environment called for under the zero-trust framework.
Many agencies have weighed their options in this situation and decided that it’s more cost-effective — and a better use of stretched-thin IT talent — to start from scratch. While the sheer size and scale of federal systems means it may be impractical to take a greenfield approach to everything, that isn’t always necessary. Many agencies will find it makes sense to implement greenfield solutions in more targeted ways, especially in support of more robust security controls.
My team has been working with a civilian agency to redesign its approach to identity, both internal and constituent-facing. We’re helping the teams there build a brand-new environment that assigns an external “source of truth” for identity, which then serves as validation to access needed systems. The point is that those business systems remain in place, supporting agency employees and driving constituent engagements. Their greenfield approach to identity delivers a fresh, modern and wholly secure capability, replacing fragmented and inefficient legacy identity mechanisms.
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Here at CDW Government, we are well positioned to support such efforts. Through our engagements with nearly every civilian and defense agency, we’ve seen a lot of unique environments. We know what works and what doesn’t, and that enables us to deliver insights into best practices that ultimately help agencies achieve their technology goals.
IT teams gain long-term value simply by considering a greenfield option. To map a greenfield plan, IT teams must step away from the daily grind to truly take in the bigger picture. That’s a good opportunity to understand how systems connect, where the data flows and where gaps may exist in defense. Undertaking the exercise offers IT teams deeper insights into their security situations, which drives smarter strategies on the path to zero trust.
