The Selective Service System (SSS) – an independent Federal agency in charge of maintaining a database millions of American men for possible military conscription – said it is on track to complete in 2025 a project to improve database security that is being funded in part by a 2022 award from the Technology Modernization Fund totaling $5.9 million.
The project was billed when it was announced as one that would “allow SSS to move quickly to scale technical operations to meet the nation’s needs through a cloud-first software and data architecture that protects the data of millions of customers.” The project includes modernizing the agency’s registration, compliance, and verification software.
“Modernizing the Agency’s registration system architecture through smart investments and innovative federal funding options, like the Technology Modernization Fund, is pivotal to our mission readiness and ability to scale operations during a national emergency,” Joel Spangenberg, the agency’s acting director, said in a statement issued on Oct. 2 that tracks progress on the project.
“We are committed to modernizing and maintaining secure and trustworthy IT infrastructure that upholds our commitment to consistently deliver a superior customer experience to the American public,” he said.
According to the agency, progress already made on the project has strengthened the system’s “scalability, agility, resilience, and overall cybersecurity posture,” and the project is using “cutting-edge” cybersecurity practices to increase operational efficiency.
Other benefits that SSS expects to see in 2025 from the modernization effort include streamlined authorization processes, advanced data analytics access during peacetime and national emergencies, and reduced maintenance costs.
The project also will improve the application’s public-facing user experience in addition to creating continuous availability from redundant geographic locations.
Of the $5.9 million that SSS received in TMF funding, almost $3.7 million has been spent on modernization efforts, according to the General Services Administration.
“This TMF project helps illustrate how the Selective Service System is actively modernizing for the future, while maintaining the necessary readiness posture today,” said Spangenberg.
