In a contested environment, the network is as critical as fuel or ammunition: If it’s compromised, the mission fails. Akamai has defended DoW networks for 20+ years, helping warfighters securely access mission systems anywhere, even when connectivity is degraded or under attack.
Akamai is a trusted leader in defense solutions, powering critical military missions worldwide
Maximize security deployment with Akamai’s defense-focused capabilities
Secure, scalable, and mission ready: Akamai Defense solutions for modern security architectures
Akamai delivers mission-ready defense solutions — microsegmentation, secure access, app and API security, tactical identity, and global content delivery. Built for defense environments and modern-day threats. Fully managed and trusted at scale.
USE CASES
Delivering secure and resilient defense capabilities at global scale
Secure global scale defense networks with comprehensive protection, including microsegmentation, secure access, app and API security, tactical identity, and global content delivery — fully managed to deliver resilience, performance, and scale in any environment.
USE CASE #1
Restrict unauthorized movement
- Safeguard sensitive mission data by enforcing strict communication boundaries between systems to ensure only mission-required interactions are allowed.
- Limit unnecessary pathways across the environment, reducing exposure and preventing adversaries from moving freely if a system is compromised.
- Contain threats at the point of entry, minimizing blast radius and protecting critical assets from follow-on attack.
- Ensure data and systems are only accessible to authorized users, applications, and processes, based on mission need and operational context.
- Maintain full mission capability while security controls operate in the background, without disrupting operations, degrading performance, or slowing the warfighter.
USE CASE #2
Enforce Zero Trust identity access
- Confirm identity at every access attempt — no implicit trust or persistent access.
- Enforce least-privilege access based on role, mission need, and real-time conditions, not network location.
- Continuously validate users, devices, and sessions to prevent unauthorized access, credential misuse, and privilege escalation.
- Extend consistent access control across enterprise and tactical environments, including degraded or disconnected conditions.
- Reduce reliance on perimeter defenses while helping authorized forces maintain fast, reliable access to mission-critical systems without delay or disruption.
USE CASE #3
Protect mission networks and data
- Secure defense networks across on-premises, cloud, and hybrid environments without relying solely on perimeter defenses.
- Control access to systems and data based on verified identity and mission need, not network location.
- Reduce exposure by limiting unnecessary communication and enforcing consistent protection across all environments.
- Help critical infrastructure to remain protected and operational, even as threats evolve and missions shift.
USE CASE #4
Enforce policy and governance
- Establish consistent security policies across users, devices, applications, and data in defense environments.
- Apply and enforce policies from a single control point to ensure uniform protection across all missions and environments.
- Eliminate gaps caused by inconsistent controls, reducing risk and operational complexity.
- Support compliance requirements while enabling teams to adapt quickly to changing mission conditions and threats.
USE CASE #5
Enforce Zero Trust device posture
- Validate device posture before granting access to mission systems and data. Confirm devices meet security standards before allowing any connection.
- Assess device health, configuration, and risk in real time to support only trusted endpoints.
- Deny access to compromised, unknown, or noncompliant devices to prevent unauthorized entry into mission systems.
- Maintain consistent protection across managed and tactical devices in the field without slowing mission operations.
USE CASE #6
Harden tactical edge and workloads
- Protect mission-critical applications and APIs from threats such as DDoS attacks, bots, and exploits.
- Stop attacks at the edge before they reach mission systems or impact operations.
- Block malicious traffic and automated threats in real time to prevent disruption and degradation of critical services.
- Prevent lateral movement to maintain high performance and availability for distributed users and systems when under active attack.
USE CASE #7
Achieve mission-wide visibility
- Gain real-time, granular insight into users, devices, applications, and network activity across defense environments.
- See who is on the network, what they are doing, and how systems are communicating at all times.
- Detect anomalies and threats faster with clear, actionable visibility across the entire environment.
- Enable rapid response and stronger situational awareness to reduce risk and maintain mission control.
USE CASE #8
Detect and contain threats
- Detect and respond to threats across defense environments in real time.
- Identify abnormal activity across users, devices, workloads, applications, and networks as it happens.
- Contain threats immediately by limiting their ability to spread, reducing impact on mission systems.
- Accelerate response, minimize disruption, and ensure operations continue even under active attack.
Customer stories
Akamai Public Sector by the numbers
- Secures more than 50 million authentication events each month
- Protects and accelerates more than 5,000 DoW digital properties
- More than 60 million DNS queries processed daily
- More than 1,000 malicious requests blocked daily
- Supports 22 DoW entities, including all six branches of the armed forces
- Supports the Office of the President, both chambers of Congress, and the federal judiciary
- Supports more than 60 executive branch agencies, bureaus, centers, and commissions, as well as 14 Cabinet departments
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Zero Trust assumes the fight has already started. Instead of trusting anything by default, every user, device, and system must continuously prove they belong. Therefore, only the right personnel can access the right systems at the right time. In real terms, it prevents a single compromised user or device from becoming a “kill switch” for the entire network.
Operations don’t stop when the network drops. Tactical identity systems synchronize identities and policies from enterprise environments down to the edge before deployment. That means authentication and access control continue locally, even when fully disconnected. When connectivity is restored, everything resynchronizes automatically, without breaking the mission.
Microsegmentation enforces strict communication boundaries between systems, so even if one asset is compromised, the adversary cannot move freely. Each workload is limited to only the connections it requires. Anything outside of that is blocked by default, leaving no open terrain to maneuver.
At the same time, suspicious activity and abnormal communication patterns are identified in real time, allowing teams to pinpoint active threats as they emerge.
Once detected, controls are applied immediately to isolate affected systems, cut off unauthorized paths, and contain the threat at its source.
The result: The threat is identified, contained, and unable to spread. The blast radius is minimized, critical systems remain protected, and the mission continues without disruption.
Identity is consistent from home station to the tactical edge. Systems synchronize user identities, roles, and attributes so personnel remain the same “trusted identity” regardless of location, including when onboarding contractors and mission partners. This eliminates gaps between enterprise and field operations and helps policy enforcement to remain consistent across all environments.
These solutions are built to align with common frameworks like NIST 800-207, EO 14028, FedRAMP, and the NSA and DoW Zero Trust Reference Architecture. They support the “Seven Core Pillars” of Zero Trust (User, Device, Application and Workload, Data, Network and Environment, Visibility and Analytics, Automation and Orchestration), meeting and often exceeding federal Zero Trust requirements.
Capabilities can be procured individually or as a combined solution set, from Akamai, depending on operational needs and budget. These options allow you to align your procurement path to the needs of your mission.
Acquisition paths include standard DoW contract vehicles, enterprise agreements, OTA for rapid deployment, or purchase through trusted partners and resellers.
Whether you’re fielding a targeted capability or scaling across the force, procurement is structured to move at mission speed — getting the right tools into the fight without delay.
To identify the best path for your mission, speak with our experts to align procurement, deployment, and operational requirements.
Resources
Need to know more?
Today’s armed forces face many challenges online and in the cloud, and Akamai can help you meet them. Whether you’re ready for specific solutions or just have some questions you want answered, we’re happy to talk with you.
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