32m watch

Implementing Zero Trust to Boost Resiliency

While a zero-trust approach promises a more consistent security framework and an improved user experience for government agencies facing increasing cyber threats, its successful implementation hinges on significant cultural and systemic shifts.

Leaders from the Defense Information Systems Agency and Red Hat share their strategies for securing data, building resilience and developing a cybersecurity workforce aligned with zero trust principles.

Learn more about:

How agencies are implementing identity management in legacy and modern systems.
Balancing security and resiliency while remaining agile.
How leaders are measuring the success of new security architecture implementation.

Featuring

Ross Gianfortune Senior Staff Writer, GovCIO Media & Research
Ross Gianfortune
- Senior Staff Writer
- GovCIO Media & Research
Prior to joining the GovCIO Media and Research staff, Ross Gianfortune worked at Government Executive, The Washington Post, The Gazette Newspapers and WXRT Radio. He holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from University of Missouri and a master’s in communications from the American University.
Michael Epley Chief Architect and Security Strategist, Public Sector, Red Hat
Michael Epley
- Chief Architect and Security Strategist, Public Sector
- Red Hat
Michael Epley has been helping the US defense and National Security communities use and adopt open source software over the last 2 decades with practical experience as a software developer and enterprise architect. During his tenure at Red Hat, Michael has passionately driven adoption of key technology: cloud and kubernetes, tactical edge/forward deployed systems, data analytics tools and platforms, and disconnected operations — always in the context of security and compliance concerns unique to this sector. Michael has BS degrees in Mathematics and Mechanical Engineering from Virginia Tech and a JD from The University of Texas School of Law.
Christopher Pymm Zero Trust Portfolio Manager, DISA
Christopher Pymm
- Zero Trust Portfolio Manager
- DISA
Chris Pymm is the portfolio manager for the Zero Trust Program, including the Defense Information Systems Agency’s implementation of Zero Trust Network access, known as Thunderdome. He also serves as division chief for ID7 in the PEO Cyber Directorate at DISA, located at Fort Meade, Maryland.

As Thunderdome’s portfolio manager, Pymm is responsible for budgetary, programmatic, and capability decisions that impact the Department of Defense’s Zero Trust efforts. He has managed the portfolio since joining the Cyber Directorate in January 2023, and his responsibilities include personnel management, budgetary decisions, and capability roadmap development.

Before joining DISA in 2010, Pymm was a program manager for an IT support contract at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma, which provided services to 25,000 personnel and was valued at over $75 million. From 1993 to 2003, he served in the Air Force, supporting critical weapon systems, including the Airborne Warning and Control Systems computer system and cryptographic support for Iceland’s early warning radar system.

Pymm has over 30 years of experience in IT management, including emerging technologies such as big data, analytics, and identity management. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Maryland in 2004 and a master’s in national resource strategy from National Defense University in 2018.