DOD launches milDrive, the US military's Dropbox clone

The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), a Department of Defense agency tasked with providing IT and telecommunications support for military troops, has launched milDrive, a file sharing and synchronization service akin to Dropbox, Microsoft OneDrive, and Google Drive.

milDrive, announced today but launched on March 1, can sync and provide access to files via mobile and desktop apps, and a web browser.

According to DISA, the service will offer two levels of storage, one of 20GB for individuals or 1TB for a group, and will sync and replicate data between two secure data center facilities.

"milDrive allows users to store all their files in the cloud," said today Carissa Landymore, DISA cloud storage program manager. "It really ensures warfighters have continuous, reliable access to files without regard to device or location."

The service was built on top of milCloud, another DISA DOD project, an in-house built cloud hosting service that is made available to combat forces, federal civilians, and contractors.

The service is not intended for storing or sharing classified information, receiving a non-classified rating, and will only be accessible from the Department of Defense Information Network (DODIN).

Features found in commercial file syncing services are also supported. This includes the ability to sync files after spending time offline, support for file recovery operations, and the ability to make files public and share them with non-authorized individuals.

"They won't be able to manipulate the data because they aren't a licensed user, but they will be able to access it via a shared URL," Landymore said.

Access to milDrive will be provided based on Common Access Cards (CAC) or Personal Identity Verification (PIV) credentials, both standard methods of identification and authentication inside the DOD and for its contractors.

The service will be available for combat troops, but other agencies and contractors can also sign up on a commercial plan.

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