Building a Secure Cloud Foundation for Federal Data Modernization
Discover how CDW helped a federal agency use AWS to modernize data analytics, establish a secure cloud landing zone and create a foundation for broader cloud adoption.
A Modern Foundation for a Data-Driven Mission
40%
of federal agency leaders include FY2026 efficiency initiatives when implementing new data systems 1
51%
average share of cloud data that organizations classify as sensitive 2
How can a federal agency modernize data-intensive operations while meeting rigorous security requirements?
A REAL-WORLD EXAMPLE
Modernizing Data Collection and Analysis at Federal Scale
A federal agency realized that high-volume, high-frequency price and spending data had made traditional processing methods inefficient. Its leaders wanted to explore new ways to gather data from multiple sources while maintaining the reliability, security and timeliness its mission demands.
THE TURNING POINT
From a Data Lake to a Secure Cloud Foundation
The agency worked with AWS and CDW to launch a data lake pilot. CDW built AWS-based solutions that could process pricing, spend and demographic data from APIs, custom web crawlers, large datasets and image files. The pilot’s success laid the groundwork for a broader AWS cloud landing zone, which also included:
- Designing a secure AWS operating environment with governance, automation and security controls
- Creating a Cloud Center of Excellence for operations and architecture
- Building toward an Authority to Operate through extensive security and compliance documentation
- Applying infrastructure as code and DevSecOps practices to improve consistency and reduce operational friction
Federal IT Solutions and Services
CDW Government delivers the partner relationships, solutions and strategic planning to help you build a user-friendly IT system that’s secure, adaptable and cost-effective.
Public Cloud Solutions
Whether you’re just beginning your public cloud journey or managing complex workloads across multiple platforms, CDW’s public cloud experts can help you optimize performance and drive results.
THE RESULTS
A Scalable Cloud Foundation Built for Long-Term Modernization
With modern analytical tools and architecture designed to accommodate new datasets and analytical use cases, tasks that previously took researchers days could be completed in minutes to an hour. The AWS landing zone effort established the governance, networking, security and operational practices needed for continued cloud adoption.
Here’s Why It Worked
- Security was built into the foundation — authentication, logging, monitoring, encryption, governance and compliance requirements.
- The architecture was designed to support additional datasets, workloads and emerging agency needs.
- People were part of the modernization plan with training, on-the-job learning and the Cloud Center of Excellence creating greater internal cloud self-sufficiency.
What’s Next?
The agency designed its AWS environment for the long term. Its stated vision was for cloud to become the fastest, easiest, most secure and most efficient way to deliver services, with the Cloud Center of Excellence driving continuous improvement, greater automation and support for future workload migrations.
Build a Secure Foundation for Cloud Modernization With AWS and CDW
Sources:
1 EY, “2026 EY Government and Public Sector Federal Trends Report”
2 Thales, “2026 Data Threat Report”
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