Field-tested guide to what breaks, what blindsides, and what every mission-critical program needs to fix before the next breach

By Tom Mersman, Head of Federal Systems Integrators, Rocket.Chat

The next breach will start with a message— not malware.

A classified task‑force chat lit up with fresh briefing notes for the Secretary of Defense. No alarms sounded; the platform’s encryption held. Yet for 16 minutes an unvetted civilian account sat in the conversation, screenshotting every detail. The intrusion arrived as a message notification. No zero‑days, no ransomware, just a routine invite click that bypassed protocol.

That incident captures the theme of Rocket.Chat’s 2025 Secure Communications Playbook for DoD and FSI Programs the next mission‑ending breach will walk in through everyday chat, not kick in the front door with malware.

Why this matters now

“Shadow IT” messaging, hurried credential checks, and policy drift are converging at the tactical edge. During our June 2025 Securing Mission Communications webinar, a live poll of federal security professionals revealed that 70 % believe most breaches stem from protocol failures, not technical flaws.

As retired Navy SEAL Alan Oshirak put it, “We’ve made secure comms so painful that people default to what’s easy. That should scare us.”

2025 is the tipping point: either secure communications accelerate the mission, or they become the next source of failure.

Inside the report

(a preview—full details in the PDF)

The 2025 threat landscape – four breach vectors now driving mission risk.

Reality-check poll results – Security insiders answers to “fact” or “fiction” on key secure comms topics.

Secure-by-design checklist – the must-pass criteria for secure comms on DoD and IC programs.

Front-line insights – blunt lessons from a 30-year Navy SEAL and retired USAF colonel.

Five non-negotiable fixes – the blueprint that turns secure comms from speed-brake to force-multiplier.

(The complete methodology, data tables, and step‑by‑step implementations are reserved for the full report.)

Get the Report — No Forms, No Gates

Read the 13‑page PDF and fortify your program’s communications before the next message becomes the one that got away.
👉 A Secure Communications Playbook for DoD and FSI Programs

About the Author

With 12+ years leading cybersecurity and collaboration rollouts for high‑growth tech firms—and deep, day‑to‑day engagement with DoD and IC programs—Tom Mersman translates mission‑critical comms requirements into deployable, IL6‑ready solutions.

Follow Tom Mersman on LinkedIn

About Rocket.Chat

Rocket.Chat Secure CommsOS™ unifies messaging, voice, video, AI, and mission-critical applications into a single platform, ensuring full data privacy, compliance, and operational efficiency for defense operations, government agencies, and critical infrastructure sectors.

Built for classified communications, air-gapped deployments, and out-of-band connectivity, it provides the resilience, security, and adaptability required in the most demanding mission-critical environments.

Deployed at scale by governments and federal system integrators operating under the highest security standards, Rocket.Chat safeguards some of the world’s most sensitive conversations and data.

Learn more at https://www.rocket.chat/industry/federal-system-integrators

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