Brett Goldstein, director of the Defense Digital Service (DDS), told Nextgov in an interview published Tuesday about the need for the Department of Defense (DoD) to advance data literacy as it works on enterprisewide programs.
“We need to do a good job of educating folks. So working on data literacy and getting a focus not just on data science, but data architecture,” he said. “What we do need to do is educate people well in why sustainability and architecture in each of the services is critical.”
Aside from data literacy, Goldstein said the department should also improve understandability and focus on the reusability of data platforms.
When asked about the projects he would like to address before he leaves DDS, Goldstein said he intends to do more in the area of cybersecurity with a focus on remediation. He also discussed the “hack the design” concept and how it could help improve cybersecurity.
“Because I feel that when it's a deployed system and we're finding vulnerabilities, we’re kind of late to the party, right?” he said. “But if we're having a perpetual security assessment during the design phase, I think that's something that can provide enormous value.”
Goldstein also shared how his team supports Operation Warp Speed particularly in protecting COVID-19 vaccine research and development efforts from cyber threats.
