Why Data Trust Is the New National Security Battleground

In this sponsored episode of Fed Gov Today, Francis Rose sits down with Joe Ditchett, industry executive advisor at SAP, to unpack two forces reshaping federal technology strategy: a contested future and data gravity. Ditchett explains why IT infrastructure is now a prime target in global competition—and how security, resiliency, and distributed operations must be built in from the start, not bolted on later. The conversation dives into edge computing, data sharing, and why trust grows stronger the closer agencies get to their transactional data sources. Ditchett also challenges agencies to move faster by embracing cloud-native systems, rethinking acquisition, and shifting from “fail fast” to “learn fast.” The bottom line: innovation isn’t a side project anymore—it’s the daily work of mission delivery in an increasingly contested worldSubscribe and listen to the Fed Gov Today Podcast anytime on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or at FedGovToday.com