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Network Automation for Federal Networks

NB author by Nov 27, 2018

Managing federal IT infrastructure is already a high-stakes balancing act. Navigating strict government mandates adds another layer of complexity — one that traditional, manual network operations were never built to handle. Many network teams have relied on brute force to keep services running for years, often focused on task execution rather than long-term strategy. This approach leaves little room for innovation, explaining the reason behind the slow adoption of automation across many environments.

But the landscape is shifting. Federal IT requirements mandated by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) are becoming more stringent. Meeting them without automation is difficult and unrealistic. Government network automation, especially through no-code platforms, offers a scalable, efficient way to meet compliance goals while supporting daily operations. It reduces manual effort, improves accuracy, and frees engineers to focus on higher-value work.

The Federal Government IT Sector

The federal government IT sector can be difficult to navigate — the sheer number of security measures, compliance standards, industry, and workforce practices make it stand apart from many other industries. Networks that serve federal agencies are experiencing an objectively more severe amount of growing pains when compared to other industries because they were traditionally locked-down environments where changes happened infrequently.

As Federal government IT operators come under increased pressure to modernize, it becomes clear that much of their infrastructure isn’t prepared to enter the modern age with them. For example, the Pentagon failed its first audit, with many auditors noting issues with compliance, cybersecurity policies, and improving inventory accuracy.

With this in mind, it’s important to understand the elements that make the Federal government’s IT sector different.

  • Documentation handoff is incredibly important because contractors are consistently rotated through similar environments.
  • Various military organizations are currently experiencing a glut of network refreshes, overhauling entire departments’ worth of infrastructure at once – this isn’t as closely tied to ROI as it would be in a privately-held business, but often a matter of organizational and national security.
  • Many Federal government IT organizations are subject to a conga line of regulations and compliance standards that might not apply to other industries.

5 Ways NetBrain Helps Govern Federal Networks

Here are a few use cases that benefit from our intent-based network automation platform.

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