Why Secure Data Mesh Matters for Defense and Critical Infrastructure

As cyber threats grow more sophisticated and the nation’s critical systems become increasingly interconnected, traditional data architectures are no longer enough to keep operations secure or resilient. The recent rise of advanced persistent threats, including adversaries such as Volt Typhoon, underscores how adversaries can exploit centralized networks and trusted administrative tools to infiltrate infrastructure that underpins national security, logistics and commerce.

To meet this challenge, defense and critical infrastructure leaders need a new paradigm, one which protects the data, the lifeblood of operations, and provides resilience in the face of unforeseen disruptions. This includes a secure data mesh that can protect and secure the data for the entirety of its lifecycle.

The Challenge: Centralized Systems, Siloed and Disconnected Data

Across defense and homeland security domains, mission success depends on timely, trusted data sharing across agencies, domains and partners. Yet the systems that manage this data are often siloed, centralized and outdated.

In the maritime domain each Department of Homeland Security (DHS)—Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection, TSA and FEMA—operates its own systems with limited ability to share data quickly or securely. Port operations rely on central servers and legacy operational technology (OT) for managing logistics, cargo movement and security functions. However, that centralization also introduces significant operational and cybersecurity risks. When networks are compromised or disconnected, coordination can grind to a halt, delaying disaster response, impacting commercial supply chains and military logistics.

This fragmentation creates both operational inefficiency and strategic risk. A single compromised system or damaged facility can ripple across multiple sectors, from defense mobility to supply chains across the nation.

The Solution: Kinnami’s Secure Data Mesh

Kinnami AmiShare™ secure data mesh offers a transformative approach to this challenge. Rather than replacing existing infrastructure, AmiShare overlays it creating a resilient, zero-trust data layer that enables secure information exchange even when networks are degraded or under attack.

Built on peer-to-peer architecture, AmiShare ensures that only verified users and devices can share or access information. Data is encrypted, authenticated and tamper-evident at every stage of its lifecycle. This means ports, defense bases and emergency response centers can continue operations securely, even if centralized servers or cloud connections are unavailable.

For defense missions, this means continuity under pressure. For critical infrastructure, it means trustworthy data flow across heterogeneous systems, from sensor networks and drones to command centers and field units, without introducing new attack surfaces.

Bridging Research and Real-World Impact

Kinnami’s vision for a secure data mesh is being tested and refined through a Critical Infrastructure Bridge project, a partnership with the University of Nebraska at Omaha, University of Nebraska at Lincoln, the University of New Hampshire, and the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC).

This collaboration focuses on how AI-enabled resilient, distributed data management can strengthen the protection of vital infrastructure beginning with bridges. The lessons learned from this pilot extend far beyond a single asset type; the same principles can be applied to ports, transportation networks, energy systems and other critical infrastructure. By integrating Kinnami AmiShare secure data mesh into the bridge environment, the project showcases how secure, peer-to-peer data sharing enhances infrastructure resilience and ensures readiness for disruptions to commercial operations and defense missions.

These partnerships exemplify a growing recognition: data resilience is not just a technical concern it’s a mission imperative.

How Secure Data Mesh Reinforces the Foundation of Critical Operations

A secure data mesh like AmiShare directly supports the priorities of organizations such as the DHS, Department of Defense (DoD) and commercial stakeholders by enabling:

• Continuous operations during network outages, disasters and cyberattacks.

• Secure data exchange across agencies and private-sector partners without exposing sensitive systems.

• Operational visibility and trust across domains, from ports and logistics hubs to deployed units.

• Resilience against state-sponsored threats that exploit central points of failure or administrative tools.

This capability transforms how critical infrastructure can operate in contested environments, not by replacing systems, but by making existing ones smarter, safer and more resilient.

Looking Forward

As the digital and physical worlds converge, the next generation of defense and infrastructure resilience will depend on the integrity, continuity and trustworthiness of data.

A secure data mesh ensures that trusted information remains available and verifiable no matter where it travels or what challenges arise.

Our Kinnami AmiShare platform represents a foundational shift, from centralized systems designed to operate safely within data center walls to distributed resilience that protects data wherever it lives, AND from reactive response to proactive, built-in data integrity.

• For DHS, DoD, and their partners, it’s a pathway to maintaining mission assurance in the face of uncertainty. 

• For commercial operators, AmiShare strengthens business continuity and supply chain reliability, while enhancing the safety and security of the public who depend on these critical services every day.

About Kinnami

Kinnami provides a secure, distributed data infrastructure designed to protect sensitive information across connected environments, from defense to commercial operations. Our AmiShare secure resilient data mesh delivers data resilience, security, and integrity from the edge to the enterprise, ensuring that organizations can operate with confidence even under the most challenging conditions.