Zero Trust Architecture Implementation for the Marine Corps Tactical Cloud

A critical knowledge gap exists in the Department of Defense (DOD) zero trust architecture (ZTA)implementation strategy. The majority of published academic research and technical documentation focuses on maturing zero trust (ZT) capabilities for enterprise networks without any detailed analysis on identifying risks that commanders and troops at the tactical edge will face. Laminating enterprise ZTA solutions to the tactical edge without first adapting technologies, system models, and policies to operate in a denied, degraded, intermittent, or latent (DDIL) networking environment could lead to severe mission consequences. This thesis proposes a tactical ZTA (TZTA) framework that expands on existing DOD ZTA reference architecture. Additional components and features are defined to meet the dynamic network conditions at the tactical edge. These components integrate legacy devices into a TZTA and identify suitable interfaces for federation between ZTAs. Supplementary features of these components enable identity and application federation, device attestation, weapon systems employment, and comprehensive IDS coverage within the architecture. Future implementation and testing of the proposed framework will lead to identification of suitable technologies and models using quantitative analysis to form the technical basis for future acquisition strategies that guide the DOD's transition to ZTA in both enterprise and tactical environments