Five Tips to Implement Unified Observability for Mission-Critical Defense

US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) has access to some of the best minds and talent in the world. Therefore, you would expect their enterprise network to be designed for the same level of maneuverability, command, and control as their military forces on the battlefield.

However, when Colonel (Retired) Joseph Pishock assumed the role of Director of Networks and Services at USSOCOM in the summer of 2020, he encountered a starkly different reality. USSOCOM’s enterprise network, the fourth largest in the US Department of Defense, serving over 80,000 personnel spread across more than 20 time zones, was plagued by frequent interruptions. Basic services, like delivering emails to headquarters, were sluggish and unpredictable. The network’s performance suffered due to legacy systems and the disparate needs of its users. 

Why network visibility matters when it’s mission-critical 

What Colonel Pishock realized was that USSOCOM lacked the necessary visibility into its own network. IT faced the incredibly complex task of connecting personnel with data, devices, applications, and communications across non-classified, secret, and top-secret networks. However, without a clear understanding of network dependencies, boundaries, relationships, and authorities, troubleshooting became a time-consuming, reactionary process. Consequently, Colonel Pishock turned to Riverbed for a solution that could provide the unified observability required for mission success.

Together, USSOCOM and Riverbed built a command-and-control structure capable of delivering real-time updates to authorized personnel. Previously, leaders only received information on network performance from the previous day. Thanks to Riverbed’s involvement, USSOCOM now has full and immediate visibility. Personnel in the help desk now share the same insights as network engineers, enhancing collaboration and problem-solving.

Colonel Pishock shared his insights at the 2023 Military Communications and Information Systems (MilCIS) Conference and Expo in Canberra, Australia. Drawing from the success of Riverbed’s partnership with USSOCOM, he offered five tips for how technology companies should approach US Defense.

Five tips to achieve visibility for mission-critical defense  

1. Don’t get stuck on laptops and desktops–include mobility as well

When it comes to enterprise networks, it’s easy to make laptops and desktops the focus. But Colonel Pishock’s advice is to pay equal attention to mobility. Because it isn’t centrally managed, cell/mobile phones can be a point of vulnerability. Riverbed’s Aternity provides visibility into the end-user experience across desktops, laptops and mobility devices. With it, you can identify the cause of delays to the network, devices or an app’s back end to diagnose and fix issues impacting UX. This is critical to optimizing the productivity and aspects of command, who rely heavily on mobile devices. 

2. Partnerships with professional services are essential 

Perhaps the most difficult lesson learned was that government organizations, no matter how qualified, can’t handle everything internally. Initially USSOCOM wanted to create a bespoke solution to solve its network issues but became its own worst enemy. After embarking on a failed in-house deployment which delayed the project by six months, Colonel Pishock advocated for USSOCOM to partner with Riverbed professional services to tap into their network expertise. 

3. Government needs to take an active leadership role  

Breaking down the barriers to support professional services throughout implementation was a weekly occurrence. Rather than leave the project to the IT teams, uniformed and civilian government leaders and operators needed to take an active role. This was crucial in getting Riverbed’s solution into the hands of personnel who would actually use it. Training was tailored for different users—creators, doers, and watchers—because they all utilized the same tool for different purposes.

4. Orient everyone around a real problem and create a baseline to measure success 

To create a baseline for performance, Colonel Pishock said it is important to set up a vignette. For this project, he kept it simple. How long does it take from the time you put in your ID (CaC) card to achieve a functional Outlook? Internal teams had no idea what the start-up sequence was, or what systems talked to what. It exposed a lack of understanding of the dependencies and interdependencies within the SOCOM network. Working hand in glove with experts from Riverbed, Colonel Pishock was able to streamline, simplify and create a baseline (1 minute). The baseline changed every time a modification was made. Now, USSOCOM can actively monitor the network, make changes and proactive decisions to optimize performance. 

5. Ensure your solution integrates with existing cyber tools

Chances are, Defense already uses other technology solutions. Any technology company approaching Defense needs to find a way to integrate their solution with existing tools. Don’t create a situation where there is a complicated divestment decision to be made because Defense is often locked into multi-year agreements. The ideal solution can be integrated with existing systems, setting Defense up for divestment in the future, which is a more realistic goal.

Mission success depends on providing personnel with real-time data and insights to make fast, informed decisions. As the digital infrastructures that support defense grow in complexity, closed networks become barriers, rather than facilitators, of data flows.

Therefore, having clear visibility across these landscapes is not just important–it’s mission critical. Riverbed can help you monitor network needs and adapt in real time–supporting operational continuity and mission delivery. Find out more about what Riverbed Unified Observability portfolio can do for defense organizations today.