Skip to main content
Leidos
Search
  • Suppliers
  • Employees
  • Newsroom
  • Investors
  • Global
  • Contact
  • Company
    • Our Business

      We embrace and solve some of the world's toughest challenges.

      • Civil
      • Defense
      • Health
      • Intelligence
      • Dynetics
      • Leidos Innovations Center (LInC)
      Gibbs & Cox-designed DDG-51 Arleigh Burke-class destroyer at sea

      Leidos completes Gibbs & Cox acquisition, expanding maritime undersea, autonomous and cybersecurity capabilities.

      Read Press Release

    • Mission, Vision, & Values

      Everything we do is built on a commitment to do the right thing for our customers, our people, and our community.

      • Mission
      • Vision
      • Values
      man sitting on bleachers holding soccer ball

      Let’s come together and talk about the changes that are needed.

      The Opioid Epidemic: A Call to Action

    • Leadership

      Meet the executive team responsible for leading our forward-thinking employees toward a shared success.

      • Roger Krone
      • Chris Cage
      • Maureen Waterston
      • Vicki Schmanske
      • Jerry Howe
      • Jim Carlini
      • Debbie Opiekun
      • Thomas Sanglier
      • Jim Moos
      • Gerry Fasano
      • Roy Stevens
      • Liz Porter
      • Steve Cook
      • Paul Engola
      • Board of Directors
      Roger Krone

      Meeting the challenges of an uncertain world.

      An Interview with CEO Roger Krone

    • History

      Leidos has a long history of innovative problem-solving and customer service, dating all the way back to 1969 when Dr. J. Robert Beyster founded his "crazy little company".

      • Explore our History
      • Dr. J. Robert Beyster
      • A Kaleidoscope of Innovation: The Story of Leidos
      Dr. Beyster

      Almost 50 years ago, visionary scientist J. Robert Beyster, Ph.D. founded the company that evolved into Leidos.

      Read More

    • Inclusion & Diversity

      Our commitment to inclusion and diversity is reflected in the way we engage our people, our customers, and our external partnerships through our innovative programs, sponsorships, and engagement.

      • Our Vision, Philosophy, and Approach
      • Strategic Diversity Outreach
      • Employee Resource Groups
      • Inclusion & Diversity in the UK
      Top Supporters HBCU badge for 2022

      Leidos was recently named to the 2022 Top Supporters of HBCU Engineering list published by Career Communications Group, Inc.

      Partnering with HBCUs

    • Responsibility & Sustainability

      We're equally committed to using our time and resources to support people, enrich communities, and protect the environment.

      • ESG Goals
      • CEO Message
      • Executive Summary
      • ESG Governance & Strategy
      • Environment
      • Community
      • People
      • Suppliers & Small Business Relationships
      • Political Activities
      • About our Reporting
      • GRI™ Standards
      NASA ground station

      Discover how we helped NASA develop a climate action plan

      Read Article

    • Ethics & Compliance

      We have a strong history of performance that rests on our foundation of integrity.

      • File a Report
      • History of Ethics
      • Ethics Program Structure
      • Code of Conduct
      Ethisphere award logo

      Leidos named one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for fifth consecutive year.

      Read More

    • Rankings & Awards

      Our innovative approach and the services and solutions we deliver frequently earn Leidos recognition from our industry and the media.

      • Enterprise Awards
      • Defense Awards
      • Civil Awards
      • Health Awards
      A gold trophy on a light green background

      A frequent honoree on the corporate awards circuit, Leidos is proud of its many industry-specific and corporate-level achievements.

      Cue the Applause

    • Partners

      The Leidos Alliance Partner Network emphasizes connections through partnership and collaboration that drive innovation, advance technology, and build efficiency.

      • Corporate Strategic Partners
      • Technology Integration Partners
      • Emerging Technology Partners
      Bubba with helmet on

      We're teaming up with Bubba Wallace and 23XI Racing in 2022 advancing a culture of inclusion and diversity.

      Fueling a Better Tomorrow

    • Subsidiaries

      Our wholly owned and majority-owned subsidiaries attract and retain top talent motivated to deliver results for clients.

      • 1901 Group
      • Dynetics
      • Gibbs & Cox
      • Leidos Biomedical Research
      • Leidos Digital Solutions
      • BEONTRA
      • QTC
      • Leidos Engineering
      • Systems Made Simple
      • Varec
      Gibbs & Cox-designed DDG-51 Arleigh Burke-class destroyer at sea

      Leidos completes Gibbs & Cox acquisition, expanding maritime undersea, autonomous and cybersecurity capabilities.

      Read Press Release

    • Contract Vehicles

      Whether you’re a potential government customer or a prospective supplier, through this listing you can find our technical and professional services under pre-negotiated terms and conditions.

      • Governmentwide MACs & IDIQs
      • GSA Schedules
      • Agency Specific IDIQs
      • International
    • Global

      With more than 400 locations in 30 countries, we continue to expand our presence and strengthen our international relationships.

      • United Kingdom & Europe
      • Australia
      • Israel
      • Middle East
      • Canada
      plane flying over water

      Leidos has announced the completed acquisition of Cobham Aviation Services Australia’s Special Mission business.

      Hop Onboard to Learn More

    • Trust

      Cybersecurity and data privacy is central to what we do; protecting data, systems, and infrastructure that are critical to our employees, customers, communities, and stakeholders.

      • Commitment to Privacy & Cybersecurity
      • Cybersecurity
      • Data Privacy
      • Privacy Statement
      Citizens walking with data flowing around them

      Today, tomorrow, and every day is Data Privacy Day.

      Read the Article

  • Markets
    • Aviation

      From sidewalk to sky, we've got you covered.

      • Air Traffic Management
      • ANSP Professional Services
      • Security Solutions
      • Intelligent Approach
      • Scenario Planning & Forecasting
      • Passenger Flow Measurement
      • FODD & Fuels Management
      • Flight Management & Briefing
      Leidos Smartlane in use at an airport

      Safeguarding travel and trade at a global scale with fully-integrated security detection solutions.

      Learn About Our Portfolio

    • Defense

      From our airborne work alerting warfighters to what's over the next hill to our autonomous maritime platforms protecting sea lanes and shores, our team is solving global critical challenges.

      • Airborne
      • Autonomy & Autonomous Solutions
      • Command & Control
      • Cyber
      • Digital Modernization
      • Operations & Logistics
      • Training
      Gibbs & Cox-designed DDG-51 Arleigh Burke-class destroyer at sea

      Leidos completes Gibbs & Cox acquisition, expanding maritime undersea, autonomous and cybersecurity capabilities.

      Read Press Release

    • Energy & Industry

      Leidos is uniquely equipped to support your important work in critical industries such as energy, transportation, and manufacturing.

      • Site Management & Operations
      • Power Delivery
      • Integrated Energy Management
      • Project Finance & Development
      • Digital Utilities
      • Manufacturing Systems
      • Transportation
      • Advanced Communications Solutions
      Electricity pylons in sunny field

      Leidos delivers a complex modeling project resulting in a clear view of bulk electric and sub-transmission systems for FirstEnergy.

      Read the Case Study

    • Government

      We support important programs that expedite identity theft recovery, protect electronic health records, streamline paper tax filings, enhance consumer fraud investigations, support census data collection, and enable scientific research.

      • Cybersecurity
      • Digital Modernization
      • Health IT
      • Forms Processing
      • Operations & Logistics
      • Mission Software Systems
      IT analysts in discussion over monitors

      Leidos completes acquisition of 1901 Group, expanding digital modernization capabilities.

      Read Press Release

    • Healthcare

      We draw on decades of success to deliver a range of solutions and services to meet the healthcare challenges of today.

      • Hospital Systems
      • Federal Health
      • Military & Veterans Health
      Healthcare professional using tablet

      Taking a strategic approach to experience true digital transformation in healthcare.

      Read White Paper

    • Homeland

      Integrating, applying, and advancing IT to tackle the ever-advancing challenges of protecting our borders.

      • Biometrics
      • Mission Cyber & Network Defense
      • Integrated Systems
      • Digital Modernization
      • Data Analytics
      • Intelligence & Linguistic Services
      • CBRN Defense
      • Human Capital Services
      • Complex Logistics
      • Ports & Borders
      • Critical Infrastructure
      Leidos Smartlane in use at an airport

      Safeguarding travel and trade at a global scale with fully-integrated security detection solutions.

      Learn About Our Portfolio

    • Intelligence

      With expertise in cloud-enabled automation and augmentation and a team adept at harnessing machine learning, we’re applying powerful analytic tools for superior performance and protection despite a staggering breadth of data.

      • Intelligence Community Engineering
      • Collection, Analysis, & Reporting
      • Operational Support & Training
      Woman looking at computer screen reflection in glasses

      Our DevOps Lab is an advanced, unclassified, state-of-the-art center dedicated to software and hardware development and engineering.

      Learn more about the Lab

    • Science

      Providing groundbreaking scientific research and environmental management best practices that make headways in the defense, civilian, and health markets.

      • Life Sciences
      • Autonomous Systems
      • Airborne & Ground ISR
      • Command & Control
      • Environmental Science
      • Modeling, Simulation, & Training
      • Sensors
      • Specialty Sciences
      Illustration representing health-focused scientific research

      NCI's Frederick National Laboratory has launched three initiatives focused on SARS-CoV-2.

      Read the Article

    • Space

      Speed, security, and scale for your most critical space missions

      • Mission Operations
      • Human Exploration
      • ISR
      • Payloads
      • Domain Awareness
      • Propulsion
      Female behind a transparent screen with text and graphs visible

      IT systems disappear into the background by providing an enhanced user experience

      Learn how IT Enables the Mission

  • Capabilities
    • Cyber Operations

      We use intelligent automation and AI/ML-driven analytics, combined with detection and mitigation, to protect and defend networks.

      • Zero Trust
      • Security Operations Center
      • Cyber Resiliency
      • Risk Management Framework
      • Cyber Analytics
      • Information Assurance
      • Insider Threat
      • Accredited Testing & Evaluation
      • EXCITE
      • Electronic Warfare
      binary code

      Outpacing adversaries through the application of IT, engineering, and science.

      From Castles to Cities with Zero Trust

    • Digital Modernization

      We deliver resilient IT solutions and managed services that leverage trusted AI and full-spectrum cyber to decrease vulnerabilities in complex IT operations.

      • Application Modernization
      • Cloud
      • Data Center Modernization
      • Digital Workplace
      • Mobility
      • SecDevOps
      • User Engagement
      IT analysts in discussion over monitors

      Leidos completes acquisition of 1901 Group, expanding digital modernization capabilities.

      Read Press Release

    • Integrated Systems

      We deliver high-performing hardware and software systems to solve challenges in an array of specializations.

      • Assured-Position Navigation & Timing
      • Autonomous & Unmanned Systems
      • Biometrics
      • Security Detection & Automation
      • Sensors, Signal Processing, & Analysis
      • Space
      • Strike Systems & Hypersonics
      • TRAPS
      Gibbs & Cox-designed DDG-51 Arleigh Burke-class destroyer at sea

      Leidos completes Gibbs & Cox acquisition, expanding maritime undersea, autonomous and cybersecurity capabilities.

      Read Press Release

    • Mission Operations

      In-depth domain knowledge and mission understanding to provide cost-effective tools and enhanced processes that are secure, resilient, and support our customer's critical missions.

      • Antarctic Support Contract
      • EngineeringEdge® NextGen
      • ISS Cargo Mission Contract
      • Leidos Performance Management
      • UK Logistics & Operations
      • StarTT®
      • Strategic National Stockpile
      Ice sheet in Antarctica

      Each year, Leidos moves more than six million pounds of cargo and coordinates 100 flight missions to and from Antarctica.

      About Our Role

    • Mission Software Systems

      Through disciplined processes, common tools, reusable frameworks, automation, collaboration, and domain expertise, our mission software systems are designed to deliver secure, mission quality software.

      • Command & Control
      • LEAF
      • SE Core
      • Tactical Data Links
      • AI/ML
      Software on a mission text on blue background

      Mission quality software. Silicon Valley speed.

      More on Building Better Software

    • Enabling Technologies

      Our enabling technologies are the backbone of our core capabilities, supporting our customer's important work from the front lines.

      • Secure, Rapid Software
      • Trusted AI/ML
      • Full-Spectrum Cyber
      • Rapid Prototyping & Manufacturing
      Military radar simulation with green display, showing a glowing grid with coordinates and positioning numbers

      How we are deploying AI to solve the world’s toughest problems.

      Artificial Intelligence in Action

    • Technology Certifications

      We partner with world-class technology providers to develop innovative solutions for our customer’s toughest challenges.

      • AWS
      • Cisco
      • Microsoft
      • Scaled Agile
      • ServiceNow
      group of coworkers looking at computer monitor

      We help our partners save money and improve performance.

      How the Cloud Saved Some Coin

  • Insights
    • Insights

      Expertise, industry leadership, unique perspectives, and more — directly from our employees and stakeholders.

      • Latest Insights
      • MindSET Podcast
      • Press Releases
      • Heroes of Leidos
      • Our Experts
      • Careers
      • Military & Veterans
      • Inclusion & Diversity
      • Community
      • Articles
      • Case Studies
      • Infographics
      • Q&As
      podcast microphone

      Listen to the stories behind the world's most important work in the MindSET podcast.

      Explore the MindSET Podcast

  • Careers
    • Latest Opportunities

      Keep up to date on the latest career opportunities at Leidos.

      • Military Veteran Program
      • External Referral Program
      • Intern & New Graduate Jobs
      • Careers with Leidos in the UK
      • Careers with Leidos in Australia
      • Opportunities for Leidos Employees
      People icons with gradient over

      At Leidos, we have a strong focus on our employees’ career, flexibility, and well-being.

      Learn more about Leidos Life

    • Life at Leidos

      A career at Leidos offers meaningful and engaging work, a collaborative culture, support for your career goals, while nurturing a healthy work-life balance.

      • Our Values
      • Our Culture
      • An Inclusive Workforce
      • Build a Career
      • Leidos Alumni Network
      People icons with gradient over

      At Leidos, we have a strong focus on our employees’ career, flexibility, and well-being.

      Learn more about Leidos Life

    • Pay & Benefits

      Pay and benefits are fundamental to any career decision, which is why our compensation packages reflect the importance of the work we do for our customers.

      • Compensation
      • Health & Wellness
      • Income Protection
      • Leave
      • Retirement
      • Family Benefits
      People icons with gradient over

      At Leidos, we have a strong focus on our employees’ career, flexibility, and well-being.

      Learn more about Leidos Life

    • Frequently Asked Questions

      Find answers to the most commonly asked questions related to securing a role at Leidos.

      • Searching for a Role
      • Applying for a Job
      • Determining Application Status
      • System Access
      • Job Eligibility Requirements
      • Receiving Job Notifications
      • Our Talent Community
      • Career Insights
      People icons with gradient over

      At Leidos, we have a strong focus on our employees’ career, flexibility, and well-being.

      Learn more about Leidos Life

  • Search Search
  • Company
  • Markets
  • Capabilities
  • Insights
  • Careers
Back to top

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Insights

The demise of the perimeter — and the rise of Zero Trust

The ongoing global pandemic has forced federal agencies to find ways to make telework a reality for the vast majority of their employees.  As a result, in a distributed-computing world where many employees work from home using personal devices, security measures that only protect “the perimeter” do not provide enough protection to secure an enterprise. While perimeter defenses, such as firewalls, will continue to exist at federal agencies, they will no longer be considered a first line of defense. Their role will be to stop low-sophistication and automated attacks made against headquarters assets, and they should perform that function well. They just won’t be responsible for protecting the so-called network perimeter, which now exists well past the physical boundaries of any agency building or office.                                            

Steven Hernandez, CISO/Director, U.S. Dept. of Education Image: Billington CyberSecurity

“The perimeter is rapidly evolving, that’s the best way to describe it,” said Steven Hernandez, Chief Information Security Officer, U.S. Department of Education, during a Government Matters webinar on the rise of Zero Trust network security. “Where before we were very much the castle moat, and then hopefully not a soft interior...that model’s been turned inside out.”

Hernandez suggested that different groups of employees in a variety of positions, with various levels of responsibilities and technologies, need what he termed “equitable security.” In his model, security takes more holistic approach to defenses rather than relying on specific products such as firewalls to protect the perimeter.

“What that means is really getting down to, are we talking about technology, or are we talking about outcomes?” he asked. “Oftentimes, we get caught up in this idea that we need a certain technology to provide a certain solution, when actually, in reality we need an outcome.”

Hernandez said the rapid changes imposed in response to recent cyberattacks and the rise of remote work has led cybersecurity professionals to focus on the two most important outcomes – protecting users and agency data. He suggested that all future discussions about cybersecurity and protection should at least initially focus on keeping data and users safe, and then determine without preconceived notions what technologies can help to achieve those goals.

“Once we get our arms around that, then we can start asking the right questions about technology, instead of the other way around,” he said.

One major component of the new security landscape is the focus on using Zero Trust architecture to ensure users’ protection, Hernandez said. The original concept was still network-based, but that thinking has changed.

“We started unpacking that concept and saying that if we just keep Zero Trust at the network layer, we’re still going to have a perimeter problem, because the network is inherently defined by perimeters. So we need to be broader in how we think about Zero Trust,” he said.

Hernandez said the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s special publication on Zero Trust Architecture is a good starting point.

“How do we work through all layers of the model, and apply it all the way down to make sure that we’re incorporating elements of Zero Trust throughout the entire process?” he asked. “I think that’s why you’re hearing so many discussions around architecture, because in many organizations, perhaps in a legacy TIC-type of architecture from a network and a services perspective, to go to a Zero Trust Architecture is a huge transition.”

Hernandez said federal agencies need to look at system architecture in completely new ways. “For example, instead of a stationary house I want a big RV, so I can move my home wherever. Before we had guards at each entrance and exit. We have an open foyer now, but we’re using other programs to identify people as they come in and out. They have wireless technology with their badges; we know who all the employees are, and we know who are not.”

The idea of dissolving the boundaries and treating every network and node as hostile is a radical departure from existing practices, he said. And such radical change introduces the “FUD” factor – fear, uncertainty, and doubt. But agencies will need to overcome that fear because Zero Trust is really the future of cybersecurity, Hernandez added. Zero Trust is the best approach to protect an organization which has both employees and data scattered among locations far outside an agency’s physical properties.

Overcoming that initial fear of the unknown with Zero Trust, which is often a complex undertaking, will be a key to keeping agencies, their users, and their data safe today and in the future.

“Well, how do you fight fear, uncertainty, and doubt?” Hernandez asked. “The answer is having a really solid architecture. If we can build the architectures that can get visibility into our data, and visibility into risk, which is what Zero Trust promises us, we can actually eliminate a lot of the uncertainty in the equation.”

Related Insights
View more Insights
  • Zero Trust Readiness Level
    Leidos introduces Zero Trust tool suite to advance government security standards
  • An outside view of the Capitol building
    To Secure the Nation, Agencies Must Move Beyond Compliance and Toward Resiliency
  • Three employees discussing something with charts on a screen behind them
    Multimodal Scene Intelligence for Campus Situational Awareness
Author
Leidos logo
Leidos Editorial Team

The Leidos Editorial Team consists of communications and marketing employees, contributing partner organizations, and dedicated freelance designers, editors, and writers. 

Share
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share via Mail
  • Print Insight

Posted

February 8, 2022

Estimated Read Time

Author
Leidos Editorial Team

Tags

Article
Cyber
Intelligence
Digital Modernization
Homeland

Sign up for our newsletters

Stay up to date on our expertise, industry leadership, unique perspectives, and more by subscribing to our newsletters.

  • Company
    • Our Business
    • Mission, Vision, & Values
    • Leadership
    • History
    • Inclusion & Diversity
    • Responsibility & Sustainability
    • Ethics & Compliance
    • Rankings & Awards
    • Partners
    • Subsidiaries
    • Contract Vehicles
    • Global
    • Trust
  • Markets
    • Aviation
    • Defense
    • Energy & Industry
    • Government
    • Healthcare
    • Homeland
    • Intelligence
    • Science
    • Space
  • Capabilities
    • Cyber Operations
    • Digital Modernization
    • Integrated Systems
    • Mission Operations
    • Mission Software Systems
    • Enabling Technologies
    • Technology Certifications
  • Insights
    • Newsroom
  • Careers
    • Life at Leidos
    • Pay & Benefits
    • Alumni
    • FAQs

Want to know more?

Contact us about product information and pricing, customer feedback, stockholder services, or just to voice a concern.

Get started

  • © 2023 Leidos

  • Trust
  • Ad Choices

  • Privacy Statement
  • Email Preferences
  • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
  • © 2021 Leidos
  • Australian Privacy Statement
  • Australian Whistleblower Policy
  • Ad Choices
  • Email Preferences
  • Do Not Sell My Personal Information

Utility Footer Navigation

  • Products
  • Customers
  • Suppliers
  • Investors
  • Employees
  • Accessibility
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin
  • YouTube