Christopher Wurst was appointed as Executive Director, Enterprise Networks and Technology Support Directorate (ENTSD) at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency in March 2021.
ENTSD manages the largest data network in DHS by providing support to over 1,500 CBP locations worldwide; this includes providing all cloud connectivity, supporting four datacenters, as well as the world’s largest Land Mobile Radio (LMR) network. The team also provides mobility solutions, maintenance on non-intrusive inspection equipment, LMR infrastructure support, and solutions for the effective deployment of new technologies at CBP. ENTSD is made up of over 500 federal and contract staff.
In a recent FCW interview, Mr. Wurst said the agency is working to strike a balance between security and network mobility in its adoption of 5G. “Network security is critical to the agency’s plan of requiring field agents to carry body cameras.”
“The network is now a vital utility that cannot be overlooked. Your application can be up and running all day long, but if your network is down, it doesn’t matter,” said Wurst.
Wurst said he hopes 5G can handle the amount of data transmitted by always-on body cameras. He added that CBP’s strategy involves shifting the processing burden to edge devices.
