Inventorying Apps and Creating a Roadmap for Rationalization
No one at DOD knows exactly how many apps each branch is running, where they all reside and what condition each is in. Without such an inventory, DOD can’t protect vulnerable apps.
The first step technical debt guidance should take is establishing that inventory, complete with a risk score for every app — which DOD already does to some degree. Apps that are 20 to 30 years old and haven’t been patched or updated in decades may viably be shut down, but only an inventory can show how serious the situation is.
Any such inventory would need to be kept classified because foreign adversaries that obtained the information would be able to exploit the vulnerabilities revealed in the U.S. defense network.
The second step of any guidance should be implementing a roadmap for servicing apps with the most technical debt. For every scenario of technical debt, there should be mitigation, ranging from a quick patch to a more involved infrastructure modernization in which hardware is scrapped.
Sherman’s office should make these recommendations and issue ultimatums for shutting down apps with vulnerabilities that outweigh their benefits. The guidance must also mention how the CIO’s office will assist with branch assessments, planning and modernization and, ideally, how these efforts will be paid for — lest it become another unfunded mandate.
DISCOVER: Outside help makes cloud deployment more efficient.
How CDW Can Help with App Rationalization
CDW’s acquisition of Sirius Computer Solutions and, more recently, Enquizit make it an asset to agencies interested in app rationalization.
The Sirius Application Modernization Assessment analyzes lines of code to produce reports on app technical debt, while Enquizit’s SkyMap serves as a project management tool to help agencies keep track of the many moving parts in their infrastructure modernizations.
Additionally, CDW offers professional services, including experts who stay with agencies until operations are turned over.
Currently, CDW is helping DOD with a large-scale hardware refresh. From there, agencies may use automated tools to help make decisions on whether to update, replace or retire apps, and they also have the option to move to the cloud to take advantage of the benefits offered by hyperscalers.
This article is part of FedTech’s CapITal blog series.
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