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Forward Enterprise for Federal Agencies

Forward gives federal agencies and defense organizations a mathematically accurate digital twin of their network, on-prem, hybrid, cloud, and tactical network, turning every enforcement point, path, and policy into evidence that’s provable on demand. It closes blind spots, validates Zero Trust enforcement, and turns Authority to Operate (ATO) into a continuous state, not a one-time event.
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The three pillars of a mission ready network

A dashboard tells you what happened. It cannot tell you what will hold under inspection. Federal missions need a verified, deterministic source of truth, one that proves Zero Trust enforcement, validates compliance posture, and holds up on every change, not just the ones you remember to check.
Enabling DoD Zero Trust at Mission Scale

Validate zero trust

Stop assuming enforcement points, segmentation, and policy hold. Prove it, against a vendor-agnostic model of the network, continuously.
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Continuous compliance

STIG checks, ATO evidence, and intent verification, generated automatically, multiple times a day, with full traceability.  Always current and audit ready.
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Mission resilience

Know the blast radius before the compromise, not after. Test every change before production, and prove segmentation end-to-end, hybrid to tactical.
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"This is fantastic and it has provided some amazing insights here at our location. I have been able to identify misconfigurations that are causing outages on Mission systems and I never would have been able to do that without Forward.”
DoW Forward Enterprise User
our mission

Proven at mission scale

From the DoW combatant commands to civilian agencies, Forward Enterprise models every major vendor, operating system, and public and gov cloud, through a read-only architecture that requires no proprietary agents and never disrupts production.
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30+
Supported network vendors
35+
Vendor operating systems
4
Public clouds modeled
15+
Technology integrations

One platform. Every mission. Zero guesswork.

From civilian agencies to combatant commands, Forward Enterprise gives federal teams one behaviorally accurate digital twin and the proof to match every mission requirement.
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Civilian agencies

Modernize hybrid IT with complete visibility and continuously generated compliance evidence.
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Department of War

Validate Zero Trust enforcement, segmentation, and STIG compliance across mission-scale networks.
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CORA readiness

Maintain continuous CORA readiness with evidence-backed network state that assessors can trust.
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Mission partners

Deliver trusted interoperability across coalition and joint environments, with verifiable network behavior.

Mission-ready at any scale

See network behavior end-to-end. Download the datasheet to see how Forward Enterprise models, verifies, and proves Zero Trust and ATO compliance at any moment.
Forward Enterprise for Federal Agencies
Forward Networks Federal Department of Defense

Forward Enterprise: Enabling DoD Zero Trust at Mission Scale

In dynamic media production settings, rapid issue resolution is crucial. With Forward Enterprise's Network Query Engine (NQE), your team can:

  • Accelerate ticket resolution by visualizing network paths hop-by-hop, pinpointing issues swiftly.
  • Detect root causes in multicast or hybrid workflows automatically, minimizing downtime.
  • Generate audit-ready documentation** for IT and engineering teams during compliance reviews.

Forward Enterprise's digital twin technology offers unparalleled visibility into complex network topologies, enabling teams to address issues proactively and maintain seamless media operations.

Download the DOD Zero Trust Brief

Mapping Federal Networks to NIST SP 800-215 Guidance

The NIST SP 800-215 Guide to a Secure Enterprise Network Landscape is a cornerstone reference for federal agencies modernizing their IT and security architectures. This publication provides critical insights into the limitations of traditional perimeter defenses, VPNs, and MPLS, and outlines how Zero Trust, microsegmentation, and automation can secure today’s hybrid enterprise environments.

  • Framework Alignment: See how Forward Enterprise supports NIST-recommended Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA)
  • Perimeter Limitations: Understand why perimeter-based and VPN security approaches fall short in federal environments
  • Microsegmentation & SDP: Explore advanced approaches to prevent lateral movement and data exfiltration
  • Automation & Orchestration: Learn how network automation tools reduce drift, accelerate audits, and enforce compliance
  • WAN Modernization: Gain guidance on secure SD-WAN requirements for distributed, cloud-connected agencies
Read NIST SP 800-215 Highlights
Mapping Federal Networks to NIST SP 800-215 Guidance
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Demystifying FedRAMP ATO: Achieve Continuous Authorization Compliance

One of the biggest hurdles federal agencies face is obtaining and maintaining a FedRAMP ATO—especially in environments that change rapidly. The NCC Group’s “What Is a FedRAMP ATO” guide breaks down the process, challenges, and best practices for continuous authorization. Forward Networks is engineered to help agencies meet those demands by automating compliance, proving policy enforcement, and reducing audit friction.

  • CATO Lifecycle Simplified: Understand the phases: Prepare → Assess → Authorize → Monitor
  • Continuous Compliance Demands: Why continuous monitoring and real-time evidence are essential for FedRAMP Post-ATO operations
  • Automation Imperative: How tools like Forward remove bottlenecks by generating audit-ready evidence continuously
  • Risk Prioritization: Align vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and policy drift with FedRAMP risk tiers
  • Audit Readiness: Provide FedRAMP assessors with immediate access to verified network state and path evidence
Explore NCC FedRamp ATO Guide

Aligning Forward’s Vision with the DoD Zero Trust Mandate

In October 2022, the DoD released its first formal Zero Trust Strategy, mandating a shift from perimeter-based defense to a “never trust, always verify” model across the entire DoD Information Enterprise (DODIN). Forward Networks is uniquely positioned to support agencies as they realize this vision—translating strategic goals into provable network-level assurance, validation, and continuous compliance.

Key Highlights:

  • Vision: Secure, resilient environment for data, assets, and services
  • Strategic Goals: Culture, systems, technology, and governance alignment
  • Seven Pillars: Identity, device, application, data, network, automation, visibility
  • Guiding Principles: Presume breach, least privilege, automation, cultural change

Forward’s Role:

  • Map capabilities to DoD’s ZT pillars
  • Provide continuous proof of enforcement and segmentation
  • Accelerate progress from Target to Advanced ZT maturity
  • Enable secure interoperability across mission partners
Download the DOD Zero Trust Strategy
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The Business Value of Forward Networks report

Do More with Less with a Digital Twin

Commercial industries like Financial Services and Service Providers depend on network digital twins to fully understand their global networks and optimize their network operations. Forward Enterprise delivers that same measurable mission impact and cost savings across complex federal environments as well. By reducing downtime, accelerating secure deployments, and streamlining compliance, agencies can reallocate resources toward core objectives and warfighter readiness.

  • 83% less productivity loss from unplanned downtime
  • 33% fewer outage incidents across hybrid mission networks
  • 55% faster resolution of unplanned disruptions
  • 71% quicker deployment of hardware, software, and services
  • 34% more efficient incident response and troubleshooting
Read the IDC Report

Federal Resources

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Tour the entire platform in 14 minutes

What You Will Learn

How Forward Enterprise delivers unparalleled visibility into complex multi-vendor, hybrid networks
How a digital twin can enable ongoing network optimization and help automate compliance checks
How existing tool and tech stacks are enhanced through Forward APIs and integrations for improved workflows
Schedule a 1-on-1 session with a network expert

What's Included

Meet with a product expert and cover personalized product scenarios and a walkthrough of key features
Discuss pricing for your team
Tips and best practices to get the most value from the product
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