This document discusses how DevOps principles were adopted by the CIA after 9/11. It describes how previously siloed departments like analysts and operatives began collaborating more closely by integrating teams and sharing intelligence. It also notes how metrics and automation improved after moving from a strategic to more tactical focus on individual targets like Bin Laden. The speaker argues this transformation aligned with DevOps practices like culture, measurement, automation, and sharing.

1. DevOps Culture in the
CIA
Karthik Gaekwad
DevOpsDays MountainView 2013
#DevOpsCIA @iteration1

2. Howdy!
• I’m Karthik Gaekwad
• Senior Web Engineer
• Mentor Graphics Embedded
#DevOpsCIA@iteration1 DevOpsDays MountainView 2013
• From Austin,TX
• We have great BBQ,
chill people and
brutal summers!

3. No Dawg,
I’m no secret agent...
#DevOpsCIA@iteration1 DevOpsDays MountainView 2013
#Dammit

4. #DevOpsCIA@iteration1 DevOpsDays MountainView 2013
CULTURE
MEASUREMENT
AUTOMATION
SHARING
Pillars of
DevOps

5. #DevOpsCIA@iteration1 DevOpsDays MountainView 2013

6. Based on...
#DevOpsCIA@iteration1 DevOpsDays MountainView 2013

7. Kinds of Roles...
Analysts Operatives
Understand trends, and
gather intelligence data
Work in the field, James
Bond type
#DevOpsCIA@iteration1 DevOpsDays MountainView 2013

8. Sisterhood
• Group of female analysts who were
tracking Bin Laden in the 1990’s
• Realized that there was something called Al
Queda
• 1995: Code name “Alec Station”
• Goal:Track Bin Laden
#DevOpsCIA@iteration1 DevOpsDays MountainView 2013

9. #DevOpsCIA@iteration1 DevOpsDays MountainView 2013
“I was counseled once in a performance review that I was
spending too much time working on bin Laden. They said we
were obsessed crusaders, overly emotional, using all those
women stereotypes.”
“There were just warning after warning,” she said. “We knew
something huge was going to happen.”
Cindy Storer
CIA Analyst

10. #DevOpsCIA@iteration1 DevOpsDays MountainView 2013
Other warnings also sent: May, June, July 2001

11. 9/11
#DevOpsCIA@iteration1 DevOpsDays MountainView 2013
The first question that was asked by everybody:
How did this happen?
Incredible feeling of guilt of not doing more, and not
stopping the tragedy.
Congress blamed CIA for
negligence
CIA blamed Alec Station in
internal investigation

12. #DevOpsCIA@iteration1 DevOpsDays MountainView 2013
The DB has
been running hot for
a while now. It’s going
to fail soon.
Cool.That’s non
functional, so we’ll
do it later.
In our world....
Sysadmin PM

13. #DevOpsCIA@iteration1 DevOpsDays MountainView 2013
Muffin head!!!
I hate the pager, and I
hate the game
WHY
DIDN’T YOU
TELL ME????
Sysadmin PM
In our world....

14. Post 9/11
• Intelligence Gathering
• Strategic -> Tactical
• One Analyst target one specific Al Queda
leader (including Bin Laden)
• Many of the sisterhood changed roles
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Mass Organizational Restructure

15. • Analysts became Targeters
• Sent to the field
• Worked with Operatives, field agents
• Integrated into elite military units
#DevOpsCIA@iteration1 DevOpsDays MountainView 2013
Post 9/11
Distributed teams with various skills
not a siloed organization anymore

16. • Departments CIA had a common goal
• Data Metrics collected -> Actionable
• Shared Intelligence across teams
• People of different roles collaborating
#DevOpsCIA@iteration1 DevOpsDays MountainView 2013
Recap
Isn’t this #DevOps?

17. #DevOpsCIA@iteration1 DevOpsDays MountainView 2013
CULTURE
MEASUREMENT
AUTOMATION
SHARING
Let’s work together

18. #DevOpsCIA@iteration1 DevOpsDays MountainView 2013
Alison Chaiken
Embedded Linux,Thought Leader
“Get rid of the devs; get
rid of the ops; let’s just
find people who can solve
problems”

19. This is Zero Dark Thirty
for IT...
#DevOpsCIA@iteration1 DevOpsDays MountainView 2013
“Some books you give to friends, for the joy of
sharing a great novel. Some books you
recommend to your colleagues and employees, to
create common ground. Some books you share
with your boss, to plant the seeds of a big idea.
The Phoenix Project is all three.”
- Jeremiah Shirk,
Integration & Infrastructure Mrg
Kansas State University
@realgenekim

20. Thank You for
your time!
• https://www.hbo.com/documentaries/
manhunt-the-search-for-bin-laden/
index.html
• http://www.amazon.com/dp/0307955885
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Manhunt:_The_Search_for_Bin_Laden
#DevOpsCIA@iteration1 DevOpsDays MountainView 2013