GDIT tapped to deliver zero-trust security solution at nearly 200 Air Force bases

General Dynamics Information Technology will upgrade the networks at 187 Air Force bases with a zero trust-based capability, the company announced Wednesday.

Under the service’s Next Generation Gateway program, GDIT has received a $120 million task order to provide “an integrated, data-centric cybersecurity solution” to support over one million users, according to a company news release. The effort is a major IT modernization initiative designed to replace the service’s outdated network infrastructure with modern architectures based on zero trust.

The contract to GDIT was awarded by the Air Force Lifecycle Management Center and is intended to enable the Department of the Air Force to meet the Pentagon’s broader goal to shift to zero-trust cybersecurity practices across the enterprise.

Zero trust is a cybersecurity concept that assumes IT networks and systems have been penetrated by adversaries, thus requiring the Pentagon to continuously monitor and authenticate users and their devices as they move through the network.

As outlined in the department’s 2022 Zero Trust Strategy, all Defense Department components are required to achieve “target levels” of zero trust by fiscal 2027 and “advanced levels” by fiscal 2032.

To upgrade the Air Force’s bases, GDIT will integrate its Everest Zero Trust Digital Accelerator at 187 facilities located across the world and secure data located across all levels of classification, according to the company. The tool comprises a framework and solution sets for implementing a zero trust architecture — including data-centric security, artificial intelligence-enabled threat detection and constant device and user management.

“As cyber threats continue to escalate in velocity and sophistication from our adversaries, zero trust is fundamental to our national security,” Brian Sheridan, GDIT’s senior vice president for defense, said in a statement. “As a long-standing partner of the Air Force, we look forward to delivering an advanced AI-enabled cybersecurity solution that will secure its data, mitigate threats quickly, and strengthen our warfighters’ advantage in cyberspace.”