WASHINGTON, D.C. — Sonu Shankar was sworn in as principal deputy chief information officer at the Department of Defense on August 24. President Donald Trump appointed Shankar to the role, which tasks him with advancing the department's IT, cybersecurity, and digital modernization initiatives.

Shankar previously served as a strategic advisor to Pentagon leadership through the Business Operators for National Defense program. Deputy Secretary of Defense Steve Feinberg launched the initiative less than a year ago to harness the expertise of industry executives to improve the Pentagon's acquisition system.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Shankar began serving in that strategic advisory role in June. He spent nearly two decades working in the cybersecurity and IT industry at companies including Phosphorus Cybersecurity, Arctic Wolf, Box, and Cisco prior to his government service.

Pentagon Chief Information Officer Kirsten Davies commented on the appointment in an official statement. "The addition of Mr. Shankar to our team will add additional firepower to our transformation work and the OCIO team. His decades of experience in cybersecurity and technology, especially his industry experience at the intersection of product innovation, executive leadership, and international business development, will be a tremendous asset to the mission, Davies said."

Shankar addressed the scope of the department's ongoing digital efforts in his own statement. The ambitious transformation of the Department's digital ecosystem is a bold and necessary effort to empower our warfighters and maintain a technological edge over our adversaries," Shankar said."

Timeline

Sonu Shankar began serving in a strategic advisory role to the Department of Defense in June, according to his LinkedIn profile. In July, Pentagon CIO Kirsten Davies announced the suspension of the implementation of Phase 2 requirements for the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program. A new CMMC Reform Task Force was created in July to review the entire CMMC program. Sonu Shankar was sworn in as principal deputy CIO on August 24.

Why It Matters

The appointment occurs as the Pentagon reviews its cybersecurity certification standards. The suspension of Phase 2 CMMC requirements was prompted by concerns that the rules would drive many companies out of the defense industrial base. The CMMC Reform Task Force is tasked with submitting a report of its findings and recommendations within 60 days.

Industry engagement with the certification process has been extensive. The Pentagon released a request for information to gather industry feedback on the CMMC program. The Pentagon's request for information on CMMC garnered more than 1,110 responses, according to the CIO's office. Shankar’s industry background at firms such as Cisco and Arctic Wolf aligns with the department's focus on integrating private-sector expertise into its acquisition and security frameworks.