Beyond the enterprise: Zero trust adapts to the dynamic demands of the tactical edge

The storm had passed, but the chaos lingered. Hurricane winds had ripped through a swath of coastal towns, leaving behind downed power lines, flooded streets, and shattered communications. First responders from FEMA, the National Guard, and a patchwork of volunteer organizations converged on the scene, each needing access to critical information — situational maps, available resources, and the location of vulnerable populations. But with power lines down and cellular towers knocked offline, sharing that data became a herculean task.

This scenario, all too familiar in the aftermath of natural disasters, underscores the pressing need for government agencies and first responders to share information on the fly — and the importance of extending robust cybersecurity practices beyond the confines of the enterprise and into dynamic, unpredictable, resource-constrained environments.

It also highlights how modern zero-trust principles, which treat every user and device as potentially compromised, now play an increasingly critical role in both securing data and enabling mission-critical collaboration across available networks in these dynamic settings.

The tactical edge: A different battlefield

While enterprise environments typically have stable connectivity and established security parameters, the edge presents starkly different conditions. In disaster zones or remote battlefields, bandwidth can be constrained, networks are often improvised, and the threat environment can shift rapidly.

“The edge environment is incredibly dynamic, with rapidly shifting conditions and mission requirements,” said Dr. John Sahlin, vice president for cyber solutions at General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT). “What begins as one mission can quickly evolve into something else entirely, forcing agencies to adapt operationally and technologically almost in real time.”

In these high-stakes settings, zero trust isn’t just about compliance or policy; it’s about enabling responders to do their jobs more effectively. By validating every user and device at each step, agencies can better ensure that essential data reaches the right people—without compromising security.

Key investments: Federated identity and user experience

A core element of zero trust at the edge is the ability to authenticate and authorize a diverse set of users, from active-duty military to volunteer groups and local government responders.

Sahlin recalled lessons learned from past relief efforts, saying, “My first experience with large-scale mission partner data sharing was nearly 20 years ago with the Hurricane Katrina cleanup. Non-governmental organizations and local first responders needed access to the military’s data, but we had no easy way to federate their identities. We ended up rebuilding the network from scratch.”

Federated identity, credentialing, and access management (ICAM) systems can address this challenge by unifying identity verification processes. That’s critical when agencies must quickly onboard new partners while maintaining strict access controls.

“At the tactical edge, real-time visibility into who is accessing which resources is paramount,” says Micheal Farmer, a cyber solutions architect at Splunk. “When agencies federate identity across multiple organizations—be they NGOs or other federal partners—they create a unified view of user and device behavior. That visibility is vital for enforcing zero trust principles: we never assume trust; we continuously validate it. Ultimately, this fosters rapid collaboration without sacrificing security, even in the most fluid mission environments.”

Equally important is the user experience. The technology deployed at the edge must be intuitive and easy to use, even in stressful and demanding situations. “If we’re talking about mission enablement at the edge, the technology has to be usable,” Sahlin argues. “The interface has to be as simple as intuitive. To share predator data or command and control data with a mission partner has to be as easy as it is, sharing my Instagram feed with my buddy.”

Data-centric security: Prioritizing information at the edge

Constrained bandwidth and intermittent connectivity mean agencies must be highly strategic about data flow. In many cases, first responders and field commanders only have pockets of connectivity. Prioritizing the most relevant information for secure transmission becomes crucial.

“A data-centric approach to zero trust hinges on the ability to ingest and analyze information from countless sources—even under bandwidth constraints,” says Farmer. “Whether it’s disaster relief coordination or a tactical operation, agencies need to classify and prioritize data so the right insights reach decision-makers in real time. By correlating logs, metrics, and events across disparate networks, we can help identify anomalies faster, adapt to evolving threats, and maintain agility at the edge.”

Sahlin noted a recent exercise with Army I Corps, where quick data-sharing decisions could be made at the tactical level. “The mission commander could decide immediately with whom and under what conditions to share data, without having to route every request back through a centralized enterprise,” he said. “That agility can be the difference between an effective response and a mission failure.”

Learn more about how GDIT can help your organization achieve greater agility and security at the edge.

This article was produced by Scoop News Group and sponsored by GDIT.