Network modernization

Challenge: USDA’s mission areas include programs that provide assistance to America’s farmers, improve health, work to end hunger, and ensure food safety. Its current network faces challenges in keeping up with expanded program needs for throughput and security. USDA’sFood Safety and Inspection Service, for example, must deliver critical food safety data to industry, academia, and the public through its Public Health Information System. In another example, Forest Services must communicate effectively with the Federal Aviation Administration and state forestry departments to monitor and respond to wildfires. USDA needs an updated, secure, and reliable network that protects these operations from cyber attacks and enables improvements to better meet its mission.

Approach: With TMF support, USDA is implementing USDANet, an upgraded network that will:

• Enhance the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program’s (SNAP) fraud prevention capabilities, curbing recipient and retail fraud and mitigating risks from scams
• Provide real-time data that improves the Forest Service’s ability to manage wildfires and anticipate threats
• Allow integration of technology such as 5G and Internet of Things, enabling participation in digital farming research with leading universities
• Generate significant savings, enabling investments in public-facing mobile applications like LandPKS, which helps farmers monitor changing soil health and vegetation conditions
• Improve bandwidth at lower cost, allowing implementation of new processes and cloud-based applications for inspection operations that protect public health and prevent foodborne illness