Host of challenges await next Pentagon CIO February 19 The Pentagon s next chief information officer must prioritize implementation of the digital modernization strategy, experts told C4ISRNET. (Master Sgt. Ken Hammond/U.S. Air Force) The list of IT issues awaiting the U.S. Defense Department’s next chief information officer is filled with pressing concerns to harness the power of emerging technologies and defend the military against those capabilities. On that list: Reevaluate the department’s cybersecurity approach, which has come under question after a major federal government hack. Potentially decide whether to take a new tact with cloud services for the DoD, if a plan for an enterprise-wide cloud doesn’t survive a court challenge.