DOD’s Col. Gary Kipe talks overcoming tech, operational hurdles to achieving zero trust

Col. Gary Kipe, Chief of Staff, Zero Trust Portfolio Management Office, DOD, discussed the significant technical challenges posed by legacy systems in achieving a zero-trust environment. These systems create data silos, leading to security gaps and vulnerabilities. Operational challenges include the lack of a coherent enterprise-wide data integration framework and consistent data tagging and labeling standards. In addition, Kipe highlighted ongoing efforts, including 18 proofs of concept and partnerships with major and minor cloud service providers, to address these issues and integrate validated solutions by the end of the year for implementation in 2026 and 2027.