Isn’t the Future of IT Bright!

1. Isn’t the Future of IT Bright! Dale Land, IT Chief Engineer Los Alamos National Laboratory May 2009 LA-UR 09-02947

2. Why a new approach to IT? • Dramatic Changes (and I suspect we are not alone) • New Operating Contractor • New CIO • New NAPs • New Federal (DAA) Oversight • Changing mission mix • More agile IT desired • Better global collaborations needed • Increasingly aggressive and sophisticated cyber adversaries • Expecting a different outcome using the same old ways? New IT or Bust

3. Formal Drivers • Mission EnablementIT investments help make the mission successful • AgilityIT infrastructure and services must quickly adapt to meet new mission, cyber, and technology drivers • CompetitivenessHigh value IT solutions and aggressive management of IT complexity (to facilitate user experience and minimize costs) enhance the Laboratory’s competitiveness with other world-class research institutions • Evolving ComplianceGovernmental and collaborator regulations must be a key design element in all IT initiatives

4. Goals to our Roadmap Implementations • Self-protecting and resilientSystems, and data, have built in cyber protections consistent with standard practice • Self-provisioningSystems self-configure for the environment and auto-update relevant configuration databases (e.g., Hostmaster, Sunflower, hrms) • Self-certifyingSolutions adhere to established federal and industry standards where available • Least-privilege requirements accessSystem-based implementation of “right privilege” by consistent use of role-based access controls for data, computers, and applications • Platform-independent standardsSystem access is not dependent on user’s platform

5. LANL IT Roadmap Modernize & Consolidate Enterprise Systems Ensure Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability Data and Information Fit to Function Ensure Consistent Standards-Based Software Environment Computing Environments Identity Management for Access ControlCreate an Internet-Safe Collaborative Environment Re-Architect Base Infrastructure IT Infrastructure Adopt Foundation Standards (NIST, etc) Build Governance and Project Management Structures Foundation

6. IT Roadmap Elements- Data and Information • Modernize/Consolidate Enterprise Systems • Reduce maintenance and operations burden • Standardize and simplify the environment • Make advancements to modern, supported, and secure systems • Ensure Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability of Data/Information • Apply consistent set of processes • Use a consistent set of IT tools

7. IT Elements - ComputingEnvironments • Fit to Function (human interface, infrastructure, server centric) • Move to sustainable, flexible end-user computing platform • Ensure user identification and protection of information, and • Provide a cyber safe environment for researchers and staff to innovate and collaborate • More predictable experience • Ensure Consistent Standards-Based Software Environment • Ensure the interoperability of information sharing • Maximize the support capability of IT Staff • IT Staff more capability based

8. IT Roadmap Elements - IT Infrastructure • Identity Management (ID) for Access Control • Provide consistent, transparent access to networks, computing, and data • Effectively, efficiently manage ‘right-privilege’ requirements access– compliantly and securely • Create an Internet-Safe Collaborative Environment • Make user environment safe from Internet-based threats • Develop new tools, help sponsors develop ‘graded approach’ –some risk is a acceptable • Create robust environment for necessary collaboration • Re-architect Base Infrastructure • Support required mechanisms for all thrust areas • Integrate new performance /capabilities into our IT infrastructure and core services at all classification levels

9. IT Roadmap Elements - Foundation • Adopt Foundation Standards, such as 800-53 Elements • Provide engineering and technology standards set to streamline the certification and accreditation • Build and deploy new IT solutions in agile manner • Build Governance and Project Management Structures • Provide a framework for prioritizing, integrating, coordinating, and monitoring a diverse set of IT projects to maximize investment of IT resources in support of the IT strategic direction • Manage complete life cycle • Build a value-added IT • Minimize non-standard one-offs • Accommodate all systems in a standard sustainable manner

10. In Conclusion • We are going to accelerate the rate of IT change at Los Alamos to adapt and hopefully leap ahead of the rapid changes we are seeing in both Mission need and Cyber realities. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step - Confucius