CDM, the Future of Federal Cybersecurity

In providing effective cybersecurity, the ability of the Federal enterprise to monitor and assess the vulnerabilities and threats to its networks and systems in real time or as near real time as possible is paramount. This is what the Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation, or CDM, program at DHS is all about, understanding what and who is on Federal networks so that we can achieve true visibility into the Federal Government's digital ecosystem. Phase 1 of CDM is to provide visibility into Federal networks and information systems by working to identify what was on Federal networks. It was a simple question, really. What hardware and software was on the systems an agency or department was running? This was about taking stock of those internet-connected assets. As DHS has moved through Phase 1, they found an incredible amount of devices connected to our networks that agencies were not previously aware of. How can you protect what you cannot see? How can you modernize your technology if you do not even know what technology you have? It is no secret that the Government has trouble buying technology. Old and outdated technology is not only a barrier to the Federal Government completing its mission to serve the American people in a digital world, but brings with it insecurities and raises serious cybersecurity risks for each and every agency and department.