Pentagon open to commercial cloud suppliers

Teresa Takai, the Defense Department's chief information officer, says the "paramount" goal of effective security in a cloud computing infrastructure is best achieved using an internal "private" system, although she wouldn't rule out use of commercial providers.

Defense as well plans to use a Host-Based Security System to protect classified networks, a tool that "will allow us to know who is on the network" and detect anomalous behavior, Takai told the hearing.

Elizabeth McGrath, Defense deputy chief management officer, told the hearing the department is in the midst of changing the way it acquires information research systems intended to "to identify and deliver significant reforms."

The Defense IT infrastructure into five broad areas

Takai said she wants to consolidate the Defense IT infrastructure into five broad areas: network services; computing services; application and data services; end-user services; and IT business processes. She promised to have a plan ready this spring.