ODNI Issues Inaugural IT Roadmap for the IC

.In a first-of-its-kind, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) released an Information Technology Roadmap for the agencies that make up the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC). The roadmap pushes the IC to explore new technologies that will improve the speed, infrastructure, quality, and mission of national intelligence. Calling the vision of the roadmap “ambitious,” IC leaders expect, “…shifts in culture; educating the workforce; and recruiting, developing, and retaining talent with needed skillsets.”

The document does not mandate IC action, rather it serves as a recommendation for IC decision-makers to combat IT challenges to lead the intelligence agencies to unmatched advantage over U.S. adversaries. Building on previous major IC strategies, the new roadmap is centered on five, interconnected focus areas, each with key initiatives and milestones through FY 2030 that will require investment with industry partners.

Fortify the Mission with a Reliable and Resilient Digital Foundation

• FY 2025: Develop resources to assist IC agencies with the cloud approach and service provider to meet unique needs.
• FY 2026: Provide enterprise guidance requiring application in one cloud can access and use data or application in another cloud.
• FY 2026: Increase scalability and capacity of IC high performance computing.
• FY 2027: Implement an IC plan to rationalize the IC’s multiple cloud approach, encouraging service providers to work towards equality of respective cloud offerings.
• FY 2027: Implement compute and storage technologies to meet mission needs.
• Develop and deploy infrastructure (e.g. regional edge nodes) to enable success at the edge.
• FY 2028: Optimize cloud services and strengthen access-network connected resources between IC users and mission partners to increase coverage and capacity of the IC Network.
• FY 2029: Reinforce the IC network infrastructure and routing for maximum resiliency and integrity.
• FY 2030: Implement secure mobility guidance to permit edge-enabling capabilities.

Assure the Mission with Robust Cybersecurity

• FY 2024: Establish IC standards, tools and best practices that streamline IT delivery with the RMF Authorization Process.
• FY 2025: Self-certify compliance with the IC’s published DevSecOps best practices and software assurance practices.
• FY 2026: Develop IC-endorsed guidance and approval process for enterprise DevSecOps platforms.
• FY 2026: Provide or update enterprise guidance and standards to promote transition to secure Cross Domain Solutions (CDS).
• FY 2027: Update the ATO and RMF Authorization Process to account for delivery of cloud services and technologies and any other applicable facility countermeasures (e.g. radio frequency emanation).
• FY 2027: Institute standards and common language policies to support real-time detection and alerting.
• FY 2027: Develop and deploy QR cryptography solutions to strengthen the confidentiality of IC networks and transport services.
• FY 2028: Deploy IC-wide integrated threat detection and real-time interagency alerting.
• FY 2029: Develop and deploy QR cryptography solutions within IC services.
• FY 2030: Automate continuous authorization recommendations of IC systems to inform authorization decisions.
• FY 2030: Use an approved enterprise DevSecOps platform per IC-endorsed guidance.

Enable the Mission with Modern Practices and Partnerships

• FY 2025: Extend IC guidance to guide the delivery of required collaboration capabilities and standards to satisfy enterprise needs.
• FY 2025: Deliver joint guidance and standard to enable increased collaboration and information sharing with partners.
• FY 2026: Support or extend services provided to the 5 Eyes to enable evolving intelligence needs.
• FY 2026: Deliver guidance, standards, and services to enable interoperability among IC elements at specific layers of the IC IT architecture.
• FY 2027: Modernize collaboration services and deliver federated solutions that fulfill capability gaps to enable global collaboration.
• FY 2027: Enable ad-hoc and persistent collaboration and mission analysis in a common and plug-and-play virtual environment with third party partners.
• FY 2027: Deliver common IT tools, shared services, peripherals, and platforms to support ubiquitous IT accessibility across the enterprise.
• FY 2028: Deliver enterprise guidance and standards to promote multi-fabric capabilities and standards to support mission and enterprise needs.
• FY 2030: Incorporate virtual and immersive technologies and environments into the IC to support robust collaboration and training.

?Enhance the Mission with Data-Centricity

• FY 2026: Deliver guidance and tools to enable end-to-end data management, including automation of data management plans across the IC.
• FY 2026: Develop and deliver an IC Data Reference Architecture to promote data-centric principles and enable data-centricity at scale.
• FY 2026: Deliver guidance and standards to prepare and condition data resources that reside with sensitive enclaves to be discovered and accessed by any IC user with the clearances and authorization.
• FY 2027: Develop and deliver tools and services that IC elements and function can leverage to support the IC’s data centric architecture.

Accelerate the Mission with Advanced Technologies and Workforce Readiness

• FY 2025: Develop enterprise guidance to support the delivery of AI enabling services and mature IC-wide utilization.
• FY 2026: Analyze what impacts quantum and other over-the-horizon technologies area expected to have on IC IT systems and develop plans to adjust IC IT infrastructure to address challenges.
• FY 2027: Identify critical skillsets for the future IT workforce and develop policies and incentives to support recruiting and retaining people with these skillsets.
• FY 2026-2030: Deliver AI enabling services at scale.

While specific IC needs and priorities can be relatively difficult to obtain, the new roadmap provides insight to the IC’s future priorities and initiatives. According to the document, the roadmap is designed to be updated annually. Contractors should review the new document and align capabilities with anticipated IC IT needs. Though prime contracting with the IC can be difficult, due to the requirements and experience needed to enter that environment, the roadmap serves as a jump start for those looking to understand IC IT objectives.