Confluent Welcomes Data to the Thunderdome

The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) launched an ambitious program with a name as intimidating as the effort to re-imagine the security architecture of the Department of Defense (DoD). Thunderdome is DISA’s zero trust network access and application security architecture. It is comprised of a comprehensive suite of IT and cyber-based technologies, leveraging 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. 

Removing trust, improving security

Zero trust became the future of government cybersecurity with the release of the Executive Order on Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity, which included a mandate for agencies across government to adopt a zero trust architecture.

Zero trust is a security approach that continually verifies users to grant access to systems and data. It  is a logical evolution of security, as more users are accessing data and systems remotely rather than via on-premises datacenters and networks. From cloud applications to the explosion of remote work, the traditional "castle and moat approach" simply does not scale or protect networks that are constantly being accessed by outside users. Continual verification requires real-time access to user and policy data, making data streaming a valuable tool in creating a zero trust environment. 

Confluent enters the Thunderdome

The Confluent data streaming platform will be a critical component of the DISA Thunderdome Zero Trust architecture for data dissemination and governance. . Working directly with the government in coordination with Thunderdome prime contractor, Booz Allen Hamilton, Confluent will implement the platform to act as the "enterprise data broker" to enable data integration, policy-based access control, data monetization, and multi-tenant data management best practices.

Traveling the path to zero trust 

DISA has been a pioneer in building zero trust security practices in government. The agency delivered the initial zero trust cybersecurity reference architecture for the DoD in 2021. Thunderdome is putting that architecture into action. 

“We are proud to be a critical component in DISA’s zero trust architecture, enabling the flow of real-time data to enable warfighters to access the information when and where they need it,” commented Chris Daniels, Strategic AE at Confluent. “Our platform powers some of the most innovative data programs in government, and we’re looking forward to implementing it as a tool for the journey to zero trust.”

For more details on how Confluent powers data dissemination for implementation of zero trust, talk to one of our experts today!