Securing the Mission: Implementing the DoD Zero Trust Strategy with the Trellix Security Platform 

The DoD has established a comprehensive framework for Zero Trust (ZT) adoption, shifting the focus from traditional network perimeters to a more granular, data-centric security model. This architecture is built upon seven core pillars: User, Device, Network & Environment, Application & Workload, Data, Automation & Orchestration, and Visibility & Analytics. For federal organizations and DoD components, the objective is to achieve “Target” level maturity across these pillars by 2027 to ensure mission resiliency and the continuous protection of critical assets. 

Transitioning to this model requires a holistic strategy that eliminates isolated systems and promotes intelligence sharing across hybrid and multicloud environments. The Trellix Security Platform is designed to serve as an open, integrated ecosystem that allows organizations to leverage their current security investments while accelerating the implementation of ZT requirements. By combining insights from over 1,000 data sources into a unified console, Trellix helps eliminate visibility gaps and provides the automated detection and response capabilities essential for modern defense operations. 

The Trellix Security Platform is exceptionally broad in its scope, offering capabilities that align with a significant portion of the DoD’s requirements. In fact, Trellix and its ecosystem partners provide solutions that satisfy dozens of specific Zero Trust activities across all seven pillars. While the platform covers the full spectrum of the ZT framework, we can call out five specific examples to illustrate how Trellix functions within this architecture. 

Zero Trust Activity Examples and Trellix Support 

The following examples demonstrate how Trellix technology enables organizations to meet specific “Target” level criteria. These summaries serve as an introduction to how the platform operationalizes Zero Trust principles. To read more, click the link to be brought to our guide on each activity, or the download page to download our guides to each pillar. 

Activity 2.7.1: Implement EDR Tools and Integrate with C2C 

Activity 2.7.1 focuses on shifting from traditional signature-based antivirus to advanced Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) to identify sophisticated threats. 

• The Requirement: Organizations must implement EDR to monitor for anomalous activities and integrate this data with Comply to Connect (C2C) solutions. 

• Trellix Integration: Trellix EDR provides real-time visibility and behavioral detection to identify fileless malware, zero-day exploits, and unauthorized network connections. 

• Strategic Outcome: Trellix sends critical device health, threat status, and compliance data to C2C platforms via APIs, ensuring network access decisions are based on a continuous assessment of endpoint security posture. 

Activity 4.3.1: Implement Data Tagging and Classification Tools 

This activity addresses the need for a standardized “language” for data by implementing tools that manage the rules for tagging and classification. 

• The Requirement: DoD components must utilize solutions that can create, modify, and test rule sets for data classification while ensuring machine readability. 

• Trellix Integration: Trellix Data Loss Prevention (DLP) offers a centralized console for managing the full lifecycle of classification rules based on content, context, and user behavior. 

• Strategic Outcome: The platform utilizes machine learning for automated classification of complex datasets, ensuring that “Target” level requirements for data labeling attribution and machine-readability are met. 

Activity 4.6.2: DLP Enforcement via Tags and Analytics Part 1 

Activity 4.6.2 represents the transition of Data Loss Prevention from a passive monitoring tool to an active prevention system.

 

• The Requirement: DLP solutions must be updated from “monitor-only” to “prevention mode,” blocking or encrypting unauthorized data transfers based on Zero Trust tagging indicators. 

• Trellix Integration: Trellix leverages tags as “indicators” to enforce attribute-driven prevention across email, cloud uploads, and removable media. 

• Strategic Outcome: By integrating with Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR) platforms, Trellix facilitates cooperative cyber enforcement, such as automatically quarantining a device when a high-risk data policy is violated. 

Activity 6.2.1: Task Automation Analysis 

Efficiency in Zero Trust is achieved by reducing reliance on manual processes through the systematic analysis and automation of cybersecurity tasks. 

• The Requirement: Components must enumerate and analyze manual activities to determine their potential for automation, elimination, or simplification. 

• Trellix Integration: The platform supports this analysis by providing the high-fidelity telemetry and broad visibility needed to map process flows and identify repetitive tasks. 

• Strategic Outcome: Organizations can prioritize automation for mission-critical tasks—such as incident containment and threat hunting—reducing human error and accelerating response times. 

Activity 7.2.1: Threat Alerting Pt1 

This activity focuses on operationalizing threat detection by developing precise correlation rules for common threat events within a Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) solution. 

• The Requirement: Organizations must use their SIEM to develop alerts for malware, phishing, and brute-force attempts, feeding these into automated response workflows. 

• Trellix Integration: Trellix serves as a primary generator of endpoint threat events and raw telemetry, which are fed directly into a SIEM, such as Elastic Security. 

• Strategic Outcome: The high-fidelity alerts generated by Trellix provide the necessary context for the SIEM to trigger automated defenses based on specific asset IDs and user behavior. 

Advancing Toward Zero Trust Maturity 

Achieving a mature Zero Trust posture is an iterative process that requires continuous monitoring and refinement. The Trellix Security Platform provides the necessary architectural foundation by emphasizing an open, multivendor approach that does not require organizations to replace their existing infrastructure. Instead, it enhances the value of current investments by unifying them under a single, AI-powered visibility and control plane. 

As can be seen by the examples above—spanning endpoint detection, data tagging, automated orchestration, and threat alerting—DoD organizations can move beyond basic security hygiene toward a proactive, adaptive defense with Trellix. Operationalization is the key to success and Trellix’s history of global deployment within DoD environments provides a proven record for achieving these goals at scale. As organizations continue to execute their Zero Trust roadmaps, the integration of people, processes, and technology will remain the most vital component in strengthening the national security posture against increasingly sophisticated threats. 

As a Zero Trust-specialized VAR, we accelerate agency maturity by aligning industry-leading solutions like Trellix with DoD mandates. We can help ensure your organization meets critical leadership deadlines with confidence.

FRC will be exhibiting at the Rocky Mountain Cyber Symposium (RMCS), Booth 153, February 2-5, in Colorado Springs, where we will be presenting Trellix.
Visit https://fedresources.com/event-rocky-mountain-cyber-symposium-2026/ for more information about RMCS and to schedule a meeting with our team at the event.