Data-driven “Smart Cities” networks could make Army bases more efficient, safe, and livable — but the Army needs to make sure they aren’t as vulnerable to cyber attack as civilian Internet of Things technologies have proven to be.
This is one of the many priorities of Dovarius Peoples, the Chief Information Officer for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. In this role, he serves as the principal advisor to the Corps Commanding General on information technology issues. He is responsible for all aspects of information resource management and information technology for the Corps.
Part of his team's Army Installations Strategy leans heavily on Internet of Things technologies, which collect data about people, machines, and climate around them, and then make that data accessible. The ultimate goal, as emphasized by both Nelson and in the strategy documents, is to improve base life so as to better support multi-domain operations.
Beyond the basics of health and security, a SmartCities approach to data is designed to make life in the service and on-base appealing to people entering the All-Volunteer Force from civilian life, with a new generation of “digital natives” bringing different expectations for technology.
“Future Soldiers will expect installations to modernize at pace with civilian sector smart cities initiatives,” reads the Army strategy. “Opportunities that leverage technology through creation of data-informed, smart installations will allow the Army to pivot from an industrial-age paradigm, characterized by rigidity and purpose-built specialization, to a data-rich, reconfigurable, and technology-enhanced information-age construct.”
Dovarius Peoples, Chief Information Officer at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers joins the show to discuss how he is helping his organization become more data-driven through cloud modernization. We also discuss the cybersecurity challenges he faces in the role as the Corps adopts zero trust, how he manages the information needs of such a diverse, multi-theater organization, and how IoT is supporting mission outcomes.
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