The US Department of Defense (DoD) has adopted a multi-cloud strategy with a $9 billion Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability (JWCC) contract, which was awarded to Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and Oracle. This strategy allows organizations to utilize multiple cloud computing services within a heterogeneous architecture, providing flexibility, scalability, and the ability to avoid vendor lock-in.
The DoD’s multi-cloud security strategy has implications for other organizations, particularly its emphasis on a zero-trust security model. This model assumes that no interaction with IT infrastructure is trustworthy, and it has become more crucial as trust boundaries across access points and networks are becoming more vulnerable and complex.
The DoD will test the security proficiency of each multi-cloud provider using “red team” attacks, in which security professionals emulate a potential attacker’s exploitation techniques to test and overcome cybersecurity defenses and controls. If successful, the evaluation process will drive wider improvements in protection.
Multi-cloud adoption is growing across public and private sectors. According to Global News Wire, the multi-cloud management market is “projected to grow from USD 7.76 billion in 2022 to USD 33.48 billion by 2028.” The market is predicted to grow at a CAGR of 27.6% from 2022 to 2028. The success of the JWCC is significant for the multi-cloud market, which is developing in a period when cybercriminals are actively affecting the productivity of businesses.
The DoD’s emphasis on zero-trust cybersecurity can potentially accelerate its adoption across other organizations, providing a way to ensure that systems and data are fully secure with maximum effectiveness. The JWCC contract is not only significant for the DoD’s technology procurement, but also for the growing adoption of multi-cloud strategies across public and private sectors, as well as the advancing role of zero-trust cybersecurity in protecting systems and data.