In a significant step toward modernizing its information technology infrastructure, the Department of the Navy (DON) has announced a new policy mandating the use of containerization technology for certain software development programs, effective immediately.
Containerization to the Forefront
The directive, formally titled „Containerization Technology Usage,” calls for the adoption of containerization tech „to the greatest extent possible” across all DON commands and programs operating in or transitioning to the cloud, particularly where enterprise container platforms and DevSecOps pipelines are in place or under development.
Enhanced Security and Agility
According to the memo released by DON CIO Jane Rathbun, this technology allows the Department to consistently deploy applications across diverse environments while enhancing security, reducing computing resource overhead, and accelerating development cycles.
Revolutionizing Software Deployment
Software containerization involves packaging software code with only the necessary operating system libraries, configuration files, and dependencies. This creates a portable and secure „container” that isolates the code from the host operating system, enabling it to run seamlessly on any platform, mitigating bugs, errors, and security vulnerabilities commonly associated with traditional software deployment methods.
A Major Leap Forward
„This is a major step toward modernizing the DON’s IT infrastructure and software deployment capabilities by increasing operational agility, resiliency [and] optimization of our investments,” a DON spokesperson told Breaking Defense.
Industry Experts Weigh In
Joe Rohner, a senior vice president at Booz Allen Hamilton, praised the move, stating that it „officially endorses DoD guidance and adoption of industry best practices for software development and delivery.” He added that containerization enhances security by isolating applications, limiting the impact of potential breaches, reducing the attack surface, and enforcing stricter access controls.
Cost-Effective Modernization
While the DON did not specify the exact cost of the transition to software containerization, the spokesperson noted that the policy applies to various initiatives with varying values. „In many cases, maximizing the use of containerization technology will reduce costs in the long run,” they added, emphasizing that this would be an ongoing effort.
Room for Exceptions
Despite the strong push for containerization, the DON acknowledges that there will be exemptions in cases where the transition would be „prohibitively expensive,” the risk of not leveraging containerization tech is „deemed acceptable,” or if a user is producing a digital twin where containerization is not feasible.
Recommendations for Further Progress
Rohner suggested that the DON could further enhance the policy by developing implementation guidance, technical baselines, and verification mechanisms to ensure consistent and secure adoption across the organization.
