At Maximus, we understand that mission outcomes depend on reliable, actionable data. During a recent GovCIO panel, Leveraging Data for DHS Operational Efficiency, I had the opportunity to join Sonny Bhagowalia, CIO of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), for a candid conversation about how the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is meeting the security demands of immigration and border operations.
Our discussion explored the intersection of data quality, interoperability, cybersecurity, and cloud advancements to enable faster, smarter mission decisions. The conversation reinforced that without a solid foundation of security and interoperability, even the most advanced technologies cannot deliver real-world results.
Good data starts with a good strategy
According to the 2024 Federal Agency AI Use Case Inventory from the Office of Management and Budget, 37 federal agencies reported over 1,700 public artificial intelligence (AI) uses. This number represents more than double the use cases documented just a year earlier.
As AI momentum builds, the foundation for success is strong data management practices. Across federal IT modernization efforts, many agencies look to deploy AI or cloud-native tools without first establishing a clear data management strategy. Without answering basic questions—where the data resides, who needs access, how it is tagged and governed—even the most advanced technologies will fall short.
At CBP, those foundations enable high-stakes use cases like biometric identity verification at points of entry. The agency has used facial recognition to safely process more than 600 million travelers and stop over 2,000 known imposters from entering the country.
As we discussed during the panel, effective data management is a prerequisite for digital transformation success. Technology must enable decision-making, not confuse it. That starts with a disciplined approach to data quality, governance, and identity-driven access, especially in an environment where agencies are constantly defending against advanced persistent threats (APTs).
Defending the mission on two fronts
Today, threats to federal agencies are not limited to network perimeters. Adversaries exploit open-source data to launch sophisticated attacks. This is why the zero-trust architecture (ZTA) principle of “never trust, always verify” is essential to protecting internal systems and defending against threats that originate in the open-source domain.
Defending the mission today means implementing cybersecurity strategies that start from the assumption that breaches are inevitable. That requires real-time threat detection, the ability to stop lateral movement, and continuous identity verification. Agencies advancing zero trust principles and embedding these cybersecurity capabilities across layers are best positioned to adapt quickly, limit disruption, and protect operations.
Efficiency is just the starting point
Operational efficiency is necessary but not sufficient; programs must also be effective. When efficiency efforts focus on mission outcomes such as making operations faster, more secure, and more impactful for the American public, true advancement can follow. Our conversation emphasized that success means turning every operational insight into action to drive continuous improvement for citizen experience and national security.
Moving past efficiency toward insights and action means DHS and CBP are creating a model where every data point can inform better, faster decisions. These capabilities directly support frontline operations, including efforts that have stopped more than 50,000 pounds of fentanyl from entering the country. Uptime metrics are important here, but faster decision-making means every interaction, system, and piece of data moves the mission forward.
AI-powered data science, advanced visualizations, and low-code/no-code platforms can help agencies quickly analyze data, gain decision intelligence, and drive continuous improvement.
A future built in the cloud
CBP’s cloud journey is impressive. With 85% of its applications already migrated to the cloud and a plan to complete a full database migration, full cloud adoption increases reliability, reduces operational costs over the life cycle, and accelerates mission outcomes.
At Maximus, we have firsthand experience with this transition. Our own operations are fully cloud-based. We understand that simply lifting and shifting applications is not enough; we must first optimize for mission effectiveness. Our cloud approach includes cloud readiness assessments, secure application architecture, cloud engineering, and operations to transition agencies to cloud-native infrastructures.
Every move to the cloud must be strategic, making sure it improves decision-making, boosts security, and delivers better results, even if the cost savings are not immediate. Our teams help agencies define data retention policies and manage data migrations with minimal downtime and risk for secure, scalable, data-driven architectures. This approach enables high-throughput operations like real-time drone footage analysis, autonomous surveillance towers, and Internet of Things (IoT)-based threat detection across the border.
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Mission success depends on how well agencies manage, protect, and leverage their data. DHS and CBP are leading the way, and Maximus is proud to stand alongside them as a trusted partner.
Learn more about how DHS is advancing for the 21st century, and how Maximus supports agencies in moving at the speed of mission.