Trusted Thin Client MESA – The Future of Secure Cross Domain Collaboration

Enhancing Government Efficiency While Achieving Decision Dominance

In today’s evolving defense landscape, the U.S. military and its partners face increasingly complex and unpredictable threats. Achieving Decision Dominance—the ability to make better decisions faster than adversaries—is critical to maintaining strategic superiority. Decision Dominance requires seamless, secure collaboration across service branches, allied nations, and mission partners, all while overcoming technological and financial barriers.

The high cost—both in time and resources—of traditional information-sharing with setting up new networks and computer systems hinders operational agility. To stay ahead, the Government must shift to a dynamic and cost-effective, technology-driven solutions that streamline collaboration across enclaves, agency networks and classification levels.

In this blog, I’ll explore the forces driving this transformation, the importance of cross domain collaboration, and how MESA (Multi-Enterprise Spanning Architecture) is revolutionizing secure, multi-entity data access. With MESA, organizations can reduce costs, enhance efficiency, and accelerate decision-making—helping to ensure mission success in today’s dynamic threat environment.

Collaboration at the Speed of the Mission

The Need for More Efficient Information Sharing

Modern warfare demands faster, more informed decision-making collaboration. To stay ahead, the U.S. must integrate the best available information across service branches, allies, and coalition partners—without the delays caused by outdated and redundant systems. This shift requires advanced, interoperable technologies that support real-time, secure collaboration.

Several key initiatives are already driving this transformation:

• DoD’s Cloud Strategy – A secure, scalable platform for data sharing.
• CJADC2 (Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control) – Building a real-time, integrated decision-making ecosystem across all domains.
• Navy’s Project Overmatch, Army's Command Post Computing Environment (CPCE), and Air Force's Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS):  Programs aimed to advancing military power through embracing technologies such as cloud, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning (ML).

These efforts reflect a larger mission to modernize military decision-making—but what technology will truly unlock their full potential?

Introducing MESA: The Future of Cross Domain Collaboration

Breaking Down Barriers to Secure Information Sharing

MESA (Multi-Enterprise Spanning Architecture) eliminates the need to provide network and compute architecture to inter-connect to partners and agencies. Powered by Everfox’s Trusted Thin Client (TTC), MESA extends the TTC capability by allowing commands and agencies to share resources without the need to provide dedicated network and systems.

Key Benefits of MESA

• Seamless, Global Access – Users can securely access mission-critical data from any authorized location.
• Cost Savings – Reduces infrastructure costs by eliminating the need for dedicated networks, encryption, network and compute hardware, power consumption, and cooling needs
• Interoperability – Helping to enable secure and timely access to other classified networks that were not accessible before
• Rapid Deployment – What took months or years with legacy systems can now be achieved in days with MESA.

Everfox TTC removes the "swivel-chair effect" referenced in the Fulcrum IT Advancement Strategy - DoD CIO whitepape (opens a new window)r, where users must manually switch between disparate systems, by consolidating access into a single platform. MESA builds on the success of TTC, extending its capabilities beyond individual agencies to facilitate multi-entity collaboration at scale.

How MESA Works?

A Software-Driven Approach to Secure Collaboration – One Wire, Multiple Networks

Unlike traditional hardware-dependent solutions that require complex encryption and security stacks, MESA simplifies secure data-sharing through a single, software-defined network.

• Eliminates additional network connection, unnecessary Type-1 encryption – Replacing multiple secure networks and desktop computers with one unified system.
• Maintains control over shared data – Organizations and data owners set permissions and manage access through a publish-and-subscribe model.

“Having been the Chief Architect for the Common Desktop Environment initiative under IC-ITE, I’ve seen how vital seamless, secure collaboration is for mission success,” said Michael Mestrovich, former Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) of the CIA. “Everfox’s TTC MESA capability builds on that foundation, enabling real-time desktop collaboration. You can enable or disable it instantly and restrict access as needed.”

Everfox has launched MESA into an early access program, with full availability expected in 2025.

Driving Government Efficiency & Cost Savings

Traditional cross domain collaboration with mission partners is costly, slow, and resource-intensive, requiring dedicated, partner-specific networks with encryption devices, routers, switches, network management servers, security policies, and compliance approvals for each connection. These networks require ongoing maintenance, full-time personnel, and continuous security monitoring, driving up operational costs.

1. Reducing Infrastructure & Maintenance Costs

Each traditional network requires:

• Encryption devices and dedicated, direct network links for each partner.
• Duplicate IT infrastructure, including switches, routers, and compliance-driven monitoring systems.
• Full-time IT and security personnel to maintain and monitor each connection.
• Desktop systems for each classification level

Trusted Thin Client with MESA, a single secure connection supports all mission partners, eliminating redundant hardware, reducing IT overhead, and cutting long-term maintenance costs.

2. Eliminating Costly Deployment Delays

Setting up a new partner network traditionally takes 8–14 months, requiring:

• Procurement of desktop system, encryption hardware, network switches, and security appliances.
• Configuration of encryption, provisioning of client devices, and A&A compliance.
• Training administrators and support staff on managing and troubleshooting new connections.

For time-sensitive missions, this delay makes traditional approaches unfeasible. MESA enables secure collaboration in days, not months, ensuring rapid response to emerging threats.

3. Lowering Total Cost of Ownership

Without MESA, agencies face:

• Recurring hardware costs – Upgrading and replacing encryption devices, network components and desktops
• Ongoing compliance expenses – Separate Authority to Operate (ATO) and security approvals for each partner network
• Increased personnel costs – Dedicated staff needed to manage multiple networks.
• COMSEC management of encryption devices

MESA removes these recurring expenses by consolidating infrastructure and automating secure collaboration across all partners on a single network.

4. Avoiding the Cost of Delayed or Failed Missions

Every delay in establishing secure collaboration jeopardizes operational effectiveness, leading to:

• Information delays impacting real-time decision-making.
• Slower joint operations due to inefficient information sharing.
• Temporary networks are unfeasible or limited due to high costs, complexity and time to setup.

With MESA, agencies can more efficiently collaborate with any authorized partner, allowing faster, more cost-effective mission execution while maximizing operational readiness.

Bottom Line: Faster, More Cost-Effective Collaboration

MESA eliminates redundant networks and desktops, reduces deployment timelines, and cuts infrastructure costs, delivering faster, more secure, and more affordable collaboration across agencies and mission partners.

Learn More

Discover how TTC and MESA are revolutionizing collaboration between the U.S. military and its mission partners here. 

Mark Drobena

Principal Product Manager

Mark Drobena is a Principal Product Manager at Everfox, where he leads the product strategy for Trusted Thin Client, Trusted Thin Client Remote and MESA.  In this role, he is responsible for driving excellence across all aspects of the products and ensuring that customers are engaged and delighted with the value and performance of their Everfox access products.
Mark has over 15 years of product, cybersecurity and leadership experience at software and IT companies, including SAIC, Leidos, Forcepoint and the US Army.  In his previous roles Mark has managed engineering teams, information/exploitation operations and led cybersecurity and digital transformation for organizations.
Mark holds a MS in Information Assurance from Northeastern University and has the CISSP certification from ISC2.

Read full bio