Department of Defense directs DoD agencies to standardize on Windows 10
It’s no secret that government agencies require a level of safety and security that is unmatched in the enterprise market. Constantly evolving security threats, managing continuous updates on multiple platforms and devices, and slow upgrade cycles are just a few of the challenges facing government CIOs who are looking to standardize and secure agency baseline systems.
To help reduce this burden, according to the Office of the DoD CIO, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Secretary of Defense has directed all DoD agencies currently on legacy operating systems to standardize on Windows 10. With deployments starting right away, all DoD agencies must upgrade approximately 4 million devices and systems with a goal of deploying within one year. This is an unprecedented move for the DoD and the largest enterprise deployment of Windows 10 to date.
As the DoD plans to upgrade to Windows 10, two security certifications Microsoft announced today can help the department meet its deployment goals. First, the National Information Assurance Program (NIAP) has certified Windows 10 against the Mobile Device Fundamentals Common Criteria protection profile, confirming that Windows 10 meets specific government criteria and standards. On top of this, the Surface family of devices are now fully certified and available through the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) Unified Capabilities (UC) Approved Products List (APL). This means that Surface has met the strict security and interoperability requirements set by the DoD, and can be easily worked into deployment plans for all defense agencies.
We are confident the DoD’s adoption of Windows 10, coupled with the department’s ability to use Surface devices, will help it reach its goals of improving its cybersecurity posture, lowering the cost of IT, and simplifying its operating environment.
To learn more about why the DoD is upgrading to Windows 10, please visit the Windows blog. You can learn more about the Surface certifications on the Devices blog.
