Vision for Information and Communications Environment: U.S. Intelligence Community Information Technology Roadmap ()

Key Chapter Title List

1. Introduction
2. Focus Area 1.0: Strengthening Mission Execution with a Reliable and Resilient Digital Foundation
3. Focus Area 2.0: Safeguarding Mission Advancement with Robust Cybersecurity
4. Focus Area 3.0: Empowering Mission Execution with Modern Practices and Partnerships
5. Focus Area 4.0: Enhancing Mission Effectiveness with a Data-Centric Core
6. Focus Area 5.0: Accelerating Mission Processes with Advanced Technology and Talent Readiness
7. Key Initiatives and Target Milestones
8. References

Document Introduction

The 2023 National Intelligence Strategy points out that the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC) is facing a strategic environment vastly different from 2001, requiring it to address challenges from a range of adversaries, from peer nations to non-state actors. Simultaneously, the rapid development of information technology presents new possibilities for intelligence missions while also bringing multiple challenges such as aging infrastructure, data silos, and escalating cyber threats. Against this backdrop, the U.S. Intelligence Community, in collaboration with over 100 technology leaders, has developed this roadmap. It aims to transform technological advantage into strategic advantage through systematic IT innovation, ensuring the security interests of the United States and its allies.

The roadmap defines five core focus areas, which are interconnected and mutually supportive, forming a comprehensive IT transformation framework. Focus Area 1.0 concentrates on digital foundation construction, providing globally accessible technical support for intelligence missions by optimizing cloud environments, enhancing computing, storage, and transmission capabilities, and strengthening edge computing empowerment. Focus Area 2.0 centers on cybersecurity, adopting the Zero Trust architecture as a key protective concept, and builds a comprehensive security protection system by integrating modern enterprise risk management, consolidated security coordination, DevSecOps practices, post-quantum cryptography, and cross-domain solution hardening.

Focus Area 3.0 is dedicated to breaking down collaboration barriers through modern practices and partnerships, including strengthening cross-departmental and cross-level collaboration, cultivating flexible non-traditional partnerships, achieving IT ubiquity, and enhancing interoperability among all elements of the Intelligence Community, fully unleashing the potential of talent and cooperation. Focus Area 4.0 drives the Intelligence Community's shift from an organization- and system-centric approach to a data-centric one, maximizing the intelligence value of data through end-to-end data management, deployment of data-centric architectures, and the transformation of sensitive data silos into data-centric enclaves.

Focus Area 5.0 focuses on the application of advanced technologies and talent cultivation. It proposes scaling up the deployment of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to reduce the intelligence analysis cycle from days or weeks to seconds. It also involves proactively planning for cutting-edge technology research and development and specifically cultivating a future workforce with key skills in AI, quantum computing, and other critical areas. The roadmap sets phased target milestones from 2025 to 2030, clarifying the implementation paths and timelines for each key initiative.

As a top-level guiding document endorsed by the Intelligence Community, this roadmap will be updated annually in response to technological developments and evolving threats. Its implementation relies on support from various aspects, including cultural transformation, talent development, and cross-domain collaboration. The ultimate goal is to ensure, through a comprehensive upgrade of IT capabilities, that the Intelligence Community continues to provide timely and accurate intelligence support to decision-makers and warfighters, maintaining the United States' absolute advantage in the global intelligence domain.