The Department of War’s Cyber Crime Center, or DC3, is building a data mesh fabric to manage the amount of cyber data it collects, especially as the organization prepares to expand the Defense Industrial Base Cybersecurity Program, its threat information exchange partnership with industry, Federal News Network reported Thursday.
Pentagon’s cybersecurity leaders, including DC3’s Terry Kalka and DOW Chief Information Security Officer Aaron Bishop, will discuss the cyberthreat landscape and provide updates on cyber defense initiatives at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 Cyber Summit on May 21. The event will cover the most critical developments and trends in cybersecurity, including the integration of artificial intelligence and automation, advancements in quantum computing, and zero trust implementation. Get your tickets today.
How Is DC3 Improving Cyber Data Management?
Kajal Pal, chief of DC3’s architecture management of data and enterprise division, told FNN’s Ask the CIO that the data mesh fabric will also address data-related challenges that the organization faces in executing its mission.
“We are also working with not only the [DOW] cloud, but also the intelligence cloud. There are challenges with that and moving data between impact levels, and the type of work we do, digital forensics where you have to protect and preserve that information to litigate those cases are at the core,” shared Pal.
He added that the organization is also responsible for protecting the supply chain, which involves moving data between government and industry across geographies and at every level, presenting a new type of challenge.
“We are implementing zero trust, but the challenge right now I’m facing is, how do you move data across different impact levels and different boundaries? We do follow certain mechanisms, like the segmentation of the network, micro segmentation and continuous monitoring of the network,” Pal explained.
How Is DC3 Utilizing AI and XDR to Strengthen Cybersecurity?
Pal also shared that DC3 is utilizing extended detection and response, or XDR, and artificial intelligence to analyze data and accelerate decision-making. According to the official, the organization uses XDR capabilities to collect and tag data from across networks before sending it to a centralized data lake, where AI models can analyze patterns.
The tools help identify whether anomalous activity is tied to insider threats or external actors, enabling more timely and informed responses.
What Is the DIB Cybersecurity Program?
The DIB Cybersecurity Program is a private-public partnership that provides participating companies with access to cyberthreat intelligence, malware analysis and cybersecurity-as-a-service capabilities. Established in 2008, the effort has over 1,200 companies that provide threat information to DOW.
In early April, DC3 announced that it is opening the DIB Cybersecurity Program to new entrants. All active contractors and subcontractors that handle controlled unclassified information are welcome to join the program.
