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August 2013
Volume 17, Issue 6
Experience You Can Count On » Stability » Consistency » Integrity With more than a decade as editor of Military Information Technology, Harrison Donnelly has the background, relationships and understanding to lead MIT, widely considered the “Voice of Military Communications and Computing” and the most effective and trusted way to reach military IT professionals. His continuity of service guarantees the highest quality of editorial coverage, and makes advertisements in MIT all the more valuable. In a time of turmoil and change in both the defense and publishing worlds, “Hank” is someone that people across the community turn to when they want to deliver a message that makes a difference.
has published to serve the military, Congress, and the executive branch for 17 years by the same KMI Media Group management.
military information technology Features
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Special REPORT:
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Social Media Breaks Down Boundaries
MilSuite integrates four separate applications—a wiki, micro-blogging application, video-sharing site and professional networking tool. By Emily Gee
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Netted Comms Go Global
A netted communications system that has brought “push to talk” convenience and “one to many” collaborative capabilities to warfighters in Southwest Asia over the past few years is going global, under a contract recently awarded by the Defense Information Systems Agency. By Peter Buxbaum
August 2013 Volume 17, Issue 6
Certified Comms
One important long-term initiative developing out of the Joint Tactical Radio System has been the JTRS certification process, which serves as proof of a system’s compatibility with Department of Defense network objectives. By Harrison Donnelly
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Citizen-Soldier IT
After two years of development and testing, the Army has released a new version of the Reserve Component Automation Systems program, which provides IT services to its Army National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve components. By Harrison Donnelly
Departments 2 Editor’s Perspective 3 program notes 4 People 14 data bytes 26 COTSacopia 27 Resource Center
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Guide to Key DISA Contracts
Listings provide the latest available information, obtained from a variety of sources, about key Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) contracts, as selected by KMI Media Group editors.
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Critical civilian infrastructure systems that are privately owned and operated offer an especially inviting target for cyberattack. As traditional physical acts of terrorism evolve when combined with advanced technology, the lines between an act of cyber-terrorism and cyber-warfare are being blurred. By Clay Wilson
An update on the latest news from the Defense Information Systems Agency’s Commercial Satellite Communications [COMSATCOM] Center, including a look at the implications of highfrequency Ka-band technology for satellite communications.
Cyber-Terrorism or Cyber-Warfare?
COMSATCOM Center Update
Industry Interview Terry Erdle
Executive Vice President, Skills Certification CompTIA
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16 Brig. Gen. Brian Dravis
Director Joint Information Environment Technical Synchronization Office Defense Information Systems Agency
“We are engineering a DoD network with enduring flexibility to support existing and future capabilities of all service components. Perhaps the most critical improvement realized by JIE will be the changes improving the overall security of the DoD enterprise.” — Brigadier General Brian Dravis
EDITOR’S PERSPECTIVE
Military Information Technology Volume 17, Issue 6 • August 2013
The Voice of Military Communications and Computing Editorial Managing Editor Harrison Donnelly harrisond@kmimediagroup.com Online Editorial Manager Laura Davis laurad@kmimediagroup.com Copy Editors Sean Carmichael seanc@kmimediagroup.com Laural Hobbes lauralh@kmimediagroup.com Correspondents Adam Baddeley • Peter Buxbaum Cheryl Gerber • Karen E. Thuermer
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As they enjoy the productivity gains created by their increasingly mobility-enabled workforces, military and other federal agencies need to move rapidly to install mobile device management (MDM) systems in order to ensure that “bring your own device” convenience doesn’t lead to “anything goes” chaos for security and efficiency. That’s the conclusion stated in recently revised MDM guidelines from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and implicit in a relatively small but critical contract awarded this summer by the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA). The NIST guidelines call for centralized device management at the Harrison Donnelly organization level to protect both agency-issued and individually owned Editor devices used for government business against threats such as those posed by lost or stolen devices or the downloading of malicious apps. The DISA contract for an MDM system and mobile application store (MAS) went to Digital Management Inc., with an award of $2.9 million and options totaling $16 million. In announcing the selection, DISA officials highlighted the agency’s leadership role in the Department of Defense mobility effort, and characterized the program as a cornerstone of the department’s mobility strategy. A key responsibility of the new MDM system will be to institute end-user permissions for functions to be used on specific devices. In addition, it will have to detect malware, support over-the-air application distribution, and provide remote data-wipe and device configuration capabilities. Joining the growing number of similar storefronts being established by other federal agencies, the DoD MAS will make it easy for users to download, update and delete applications at minimal cost. DISA also portrayed the contract as a major step in creating a multi-vendor environment for mobile devices and services. After relying for years on highly secure custom-built and BlackBerry devices, the department has been expanding its market scope, launching pilot projects using a variety of technologies and issuing security certifications for Apple and Android devices.
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PROGRAM NOTES
Compiled by KMI Media Group staff
Navy Eyes Swift Shift to Afloat Network Installation of the Navy’s new Consolidated Afloat Network Enterprise Services (CANES) system on its first vessel, USS Milius, is more than two-thirds accomplished and headed for completion this year, according to Rear Admiral William E. Leigher, director of warfare integration for information dominance. Speaking at the Navy IT Day conference sponsored by AFCEA NOVA, Leigher made clear that while the current budget sequestration had delayed the process somewhat, the Navy was pressing forward with its plan to outfit nearly 200 ships with the new hardware and software package by 2020. “We can’t get to CANES fast enough,” Leigher said. Work on the second ship, USS Campbell, is expected to take about four and a half months, with a projected 90-day schedule once the program hits full speed. Navy officials say the shipboard consolidation to be achieved through CANES will eliminate many legacy, stand-alone networks while providing an adaptable and responsive information technology platform to rapidly meet changing requirements. This strategy strengthens the network’s infrastructure, improves security and decreases total ownership costs.
The program also reflects a major shift in Navy thinking, Leigher said. “As much as a program of record, CANES was also a strategy and philosophy. It became the scalable IT platform that provides all of the services.” In outlining the need to proceed on CANES implementation, Leigher contrasted it with the legacy Integrated Shipboard Network System (ISNS). “You had legacy hardware and software, and none of it worked together very well,” he said. “About half of the hardware pieces in an ISNS installation are either ‘unknown’ or ‘other.’ None of us would operate like that at home. You had so much diversity in that, and not in a good way, that it added to the chaos within the IT environment, and added complexity such that it was nearly impossible to do things in a seamless way with the systems that we had. “It was much the same on the software side. You had different versions of software across the fleet that were impossible to keep up to date and secure from an end to end point of view,” he added. With its modular design, on the other hand, CANES provides a number of benefits, including
easier integration, better use of limited bandwidth resources, and lower total ownership costs. “We had a lot of networks that we wanted to integrate. If I sail into a coalition environment in the Arabian Gulf, I have a plug-in that is ready made for my CENTRIX network. I’m not bolting on new equipment or standing up another network for which I have to go through all the certification and accreditation procedures, and do separate interfaces to connect to the command system,” Leigher said. The program also reflects a proactive approach to acquisition, with a contract recompetition planned for about every eight years. “We want to make sure we’re still talking about relevant technology as we go forward. That’s one of the most important things about CANES. We can only imagine what we’re going to want eight years from now in IT services,” Leigher said. “When you had a bolt-on system like ISNS, the only way to do that was to bolt on another system,” he continued. “CANES provides us with the modular architecture, as we plan for obsolescence up front, that enables us to make upgrades in a way that is both proactive and also puts us in a competitive environment where we can get the best value.”
Hawkins Lays Out Road to Joint Information Environment The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) is carrying out organizational changes and pressing ahead with a variety of programs aimed at laying the groundwork for a key role in developing the Department of Defense’s Joint Information Environment (JIE), according to agency director Lieutenant General Ronnie D. Hawkins Jr. Speaking at the AFCEA International Cyber Symposium in Baltimore, Md., Hawkins outlined a number of significant shifts in the agency’s financial, planning and resource management structures. Turning to JIE, Hawkins identified five key areas in which DISA is helping to bring about the still-developing DoD overarching information architecture. Following are the areas, along with a brief comment about each:
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Data Center Consolidation. “We have been reducing the number of employees
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tied to data centers, and billions of dollars of savings have resulted. We know that we can get this done, and be the lead for DoD. We can provide the core data centers for DoD, and also help the services as they build out their own centers if the need exists.” Convergence. “Everything over IP is where we are going, and we have a number of EoIP pilots. We are looking at a unified capability being released out of DISA in fiscal year 2015. We’re working on the pilots and with the JIE executive committee, and more importantly within DISA to make sure we can manage where we are going with unified capabilities.” Security. “We know that we need to have a single security architecture in place in order to do what we want in
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protecting data. In the past, we’ve been all about protecting the networks with firewalls. We’ve got to remove those and go toward protecting data.” Mobility. “We’ve already deployed a number of applications in the mobile ecosystem, we’re testing more, and there are many other requested services that we will move on. We want to be able to meet the demands of our customers to get the information to them in any way, whenever and wherever they need it.” Cloud computing. “We’re in our infant stage of how we build out the cloud and have a cloud brokerage where customers can come to determine whether to put their capabilities of a private, public or DoD cloud. Right now, customers have to come and talk to us. But we want by FY14 to have an automated system.”
MIT 17.6 | 3
PROGRAM NOTES
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Army Knowledge Portal to Shift to Enterprise Services
The Army is moving to transition its Army Knowledge Online (AKO) portal to next-generation enterprise services. As part of IT management reform, Secretary of the Army John McHugh recently signed a memo outlining the changes to occur over the next several years. “To achieve the anticipated financial economies, efficiencies and security improvements, the Army must modernize current Army Knowledge Online infrastructure and services to become more interoperable across DoD and compliant
with emerging joint information environment architectures; and implement current best practices for cloud-based managed services,” McHugh wrote. The transition follows the Army’s successful migration of 1.4 million email accounts to DoD Enterprise Email, which is expected to be completed this summer. “The Army is moving towards enterprise services for collaboration, content management, and unified capabilities [including chat, presence, voice and video over IP]—all drawing upon the authoritative identity service that underpins Enterprise Email,” said Mike Krieger, deputy, Chief Information Office/G-6. The Army is developing a transition timeline for AKO services and accounts, including to military and civilian retirees and Army family
members. Details will be published this fall. All Army business processes will move off the current AKO platform onto next-generation enterprise services over the course of several years. Only business users will have access to enterprise services. “The Army retains a responsibility and a mission requirement to remain virtually connected to all of our military retirees,” said McHugh. The forthcoming AKO transition information will outline how the Army will remain in touch with military retirees and families. Army military retirees and family members will continue to have access to DoD online selfservice sites like Tricare and MyPay through DoD Self-Service Logon. Army retiree and family AKO email accounts will become inactive by mid-2014. Unlike when AKO began, email and other AKO features are now available commercially and at no cost to the public. Today, less than 10 percent of the 412,000 Army retirees and family members use AKO email.
PEOPLE
Thomas Kirchmaier
General Dynamics has named Thomas Kirchmaier vice president and president of the company’s Advanced Information Systems business, succeeding Lewis Von Thaer. Kirchmaier was most recently senior vice president and general manager of General Dynamics Information Technology’s Intelligence Solutions division, where he has been since 2007.
4 | MIT 17.6
Compiled by KMI Media Group staff
Brigadier General Daniel P. Hughes, who has been serving as deputy commanding general, U.S. Army research, development and engineering command/ senior commander, Natick Soldier Systems Center, has been assigned as program executive officer, command, control, and communications (tactical), Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md.
manager of its Defense Solutions business unit.
for appointment to the rank of lieutenant general and for assignment as commanding general, U.S. Army Cyber Command, Fort Belvoir, Va. Cardon is currently serving as commanding general, 2nd Infantry Division, Republic of Korea.
Peter Brady
QinetiQ North America has announced the appointment of Chris O’Ferrell as chief technical officer and Tempy Wright as vice president of marketing and communications of its wholly owned subsidiary Cyveillance, a provider of cyber intelligence solutions. Earlier, QinetiQ North America had announced the appointment of David Shrum as general
Intelligent Decisions, a global IT systems integrator, has hired former ManTech International executive Peter Brady as vice president, Department of Defense and Department of State Programs. Army Major General Edward C. Cardon has been nominated
John H. Schmidt
John H. Schmidt has been named the new managing director for Accenture’s North American aerospace and defense practice.
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Under an expanded tactical system, users in disparate locations will be able to talk and share data over a satellite connection.
By Peter Buxbaum, MIT Correspondent
A netted communications system that has brought “push to talk” convenience and “one to many” collaborative capabilities to warfighters in Southwest Asia over the past few years is going global, under a contract recently awarded by the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA). DISA is working with its industry partners, including ITT Exelis, Trace Systems and Iridium, to develop a global netted communications capability for the agency’s Distributed Tactical Communications System (DTCS). The team will expand the existing DTCS to a worldwide scale, so that users in disparate locations will have the ability to communicate and share data over a satellite connection. Providing a push-to-talk, beyond-line-of-sight global satellite communications capability has a number of implications. First, it could connect front-line warfighters with higher ranks in the chain of command, not only in theater headquarters but back in the continental United States. That kind of capability, backers say, would elevate communications from the tactical to the strategic. Second, it will continue to facilitate the way the U.S. military of the 21st century wants to operate: rapidly and on the move. It could obviate the need for fixed command headquarters and could change the tactics, techniques and procedures that future warfighters would use in engaging adversaries. Thirdly, DTCS is mindful of the tightening fiscal environment. The DTCS program has saved the government the cost of installing the expensive ground infrastructure needed to extend the range of traditional land mobile radio (LMR) systems. The next-generation capability will continue to provide new capabilities within the current fiscally constrained environment. Finally, it represents an ongoing approach to interoperability that makes it easier for U.S. military units to communicate with coalition partners and with government agencies at different levels, such as first responders, for disaster relief and other missions. The current DTCS system has delivered a regional netted communications capability to warfighters in Iraq, Afghanistan and other theaters of operation since 2009. Netted communications is a vague term that is often associated with push to talk. But push to talk merely refers to the way military tactical radios typically work. The term netted communications goes well beyond that to include both voice and data, and to connect communications platforms in such a way that www.MIT-kmi.com
people in a given group are able to communicate with one another on a one-to-many basis no matter what their location.
Position Information The current generation of DTCS radios also provides a critical C2 capability for position location information (PLI) for all users. This location information can either be collected “locally” through handheld PDA devices tethered to the radio, or “globally” by using the data connection to DoD networks through Iridium’s constellation. This secured information, able to be provided over classified or unclassified networks, can populate on the commander’s display in a matter of seconds as opposed to several minutes. With a size and weight smaller than that of many current LMR radios, this integration of voice and PLI capabilities allows for the continuous over-thehorizon, beyond-line-of-sight, and on-the-move communications and tracking down to the individual warfighter level. With Trace Systems rounding out the DTCS team to provide field service representatives (FSR) for the fielding, training, logistics and field repairs, the next generation system will be a turnkey solution for military units to immediately deploy to anywhere around the globe with instant long range and secure communications. Considering the coalition nature of military and relief operations, DTCS is an ideal solution for secured but unclassified communications, which can be used with partner nations and non-military personnel. In Afghanistan, FSRs provide radios and support to a host of non-U.S. military personnel, including NATO partners, U.S. law enforcement agencies and other government agencies, and the Afghan National Army and Police. DTCS has provided encrypted comms between these partners with the ability to either merge or segregate nets between the different groups depending on mission requirements. With the dynamic nature and the size of operations, FSRs are able to quickly and continuously monitor and assess net usage and reallocate assets and channels as missions fluctuate. As forces reduce in Afghanistan and enterprise communications architectures are removed, key decision makers in the U.S. military anticipate an increase in DTCS usage based on the need for secured communications remaining and the distances between operating units increasing leaving many forms of communications unable to meet MIT 17.6 | 5
mission requirements. Understanding that as budgets for operations decrease through the drawdown in Afghanistan, the FSRs are working hard to continuously show the government a return on investment. In one year, FSRs have saved the government more than $35 million in property accountability, asset reallocation and airtime management.
Small Unit Connection The developments characterized by the latest DTCS contract are also taking place within the Army’s Warfighter Information NetworkTactical (WIN-T) program. There, ad hoc RF mesh networks are being connected up via satellite to Army gateways, so that members of small, on-the-move units can remain connected with each other when they lose line of sight, as well as with headquarters. “When the DTCS program first started, the focus was to provide beyond-line-of-sight, on-the-move communications to disadvantaged users,” said Dario Valle, business director for Exelis special applications. “Then we saw a shift in the concept of operations toward distributed operations by small, mobile units in an austere environment. A gap existed for beyond-line-of-sight communications for dismounted operations. Commanders are only going to put forces out there they can ensure they can command and control during the operation. “Netted communications provides a capability for operators to intercommunicate and share information, voice or data, on a common architecture,” Valle added. “It has always been the vision within the Department of Defense and industry to break through some of the existing geographic and capacity constraints,” said Scott Scheimreif, vice president of government programs at Iridium, the satellite company that will be providing its capabilities to the latest as well as the current DTCS contract. “DTCS Global Services will be able to accomplish this. Users in Afghanistan, Washington, and Camp Pendleton can all exist on the same tactical network communicating voice and data.” Netted communications can also be used as an interoperability solution among a disparate set of military and government organizations. “Singular deployments by military organizations are close to non-existent in today’s world of joint and combined operations,” noted David Moss, director of government services at Thuraya Telecommunications. “To meet this, security and defense forces now demand interoperability between disparate communications networks that are more cost effective and immediately deployable.” Those issues are especially salient in the event of natural disasters, which can destroy and disrupt telecommunications services and hamper the efforts of relief workers who arrive on the scene with different means of communication. “The essence of netted communications is the ability to deliver an open conference where everyone can talk and everyone can listen, everyone at headquarters, everyone at field command centers, and everyone in rapid response units,” said Moss. “Netted communications is a step beyond point-to-point communications,” explained Paul Moskowitz, a senior vice president at Vocality. “Netted communications has the ability at every point to understand what is going on so that communications get to where they are supposed to go without jitter or delay.” Iridium’s satellites will be acting as repeaters and transponders in space to provide DTCS a global netted capability that allows multiple users in the same talk group to communicate in a push-to-talk environment in real time. “The talk goes up to the satellite and comes back down to the network,” explained Scheimreif. “In the case of DTCS Global Services, the 6 | MIT 17.6
communications go back down to a gateway that knows where everyone is in that talk group and establishes a channel to each, allowing all of them to hear each others’ speech and to communicate data. The ad hoc, mesh networks used by dismounted soldiers on the ground can be netted when they have lost line of sight or when they need to reach back to higher levels of command.” “Mesh networks operate at lower tactical levels,” said Chris Marzilli, president of General Dynamics C4 Systems. “The network knows where each node is located, and signals move by bouncing across nodes. That is how they get their range. Netted communications is a more general term that can include mesh networks.” After almost a decade of development, the Army is currently in the process of implementing Increment Two of WIN-T. “This will provide a true on-the-move broadband network,” said Marzilli. “Commanders will receive voice and data in their vehicles at 45 miles per hour over unimproved roads. That means they never have to stop and get organized or even to operate from a fixed command center.” The satellite communications piece of WIN-T Increment Two “changes the game,” according to Marzilli. “Now commanders have to convene people to a single site where they have big displays and collaborate in a tented room. They will no longer need to do that. An on-the-move network that operates at speed will change how they will fight. Rich data will be streamed into the command vehicle or command post of the future so that decisions can be made on the fly.” At the same time, the network will be extended to the “pointy end of the spear,” Marzilli added. “It takes the network and bridges it to the individual soldier who doesn’t have access to massive bandwidth. They will be allowed voice, text and chat communications on their manpack and rifleman radios, but the real game changer is that the network is going to be able to collect GPS data on the location of these dismounted warfighters. That information will be painted on battle management systems like Blue Force Tracking so that commanders don’t ‘lay lead’ on them in the fog of war. It will also allow soldiers to run tactical ground reports and other applications down at the edge of the network.” General Dynamics choreographs all these capabilities within WINT, much as a telecommunications provider does on a civilian network. “We provide the middleware that glues this network together,” said Marzilli. “The software tracks where the nodes are. That is really the special sauce that we provide. We also provide an NSA-accredited security architecture to allow classified and unclassified communications to flow in a secure yet compartmentalized way. The receiver knows the classification of the information when it is received. We also encrypt and decrypt every bit of information on the network.” The third piece General Dynamics brings is the ability for the network to provide service in the most hostile and on-the-move battlefield conditions. “This allows the military to take business processes and smart devices to be massively productive downrange,” said Marzilli. “WIN-T Increment Two basically brings the Internet to the fight. All the things the Internet brings to the business world, netted communications brings to war fighting. The result of going to be strategic overmatch for adversaries.”
Software Upgrade The new DTCS contract envisions enhancing the capabilities of existing gateways and devices to provide a global range. “It’s going to be a software solution for the radios,” said Valle. “The military already has 8,000 DTCS radios out there, and they want to make the most of www.MIT-kmi.com
that investment. The idea is to roll the new capabilities into existing radios with a software upgrade.” Valle also expects the new DTCS to reduce latency on the network. “The recent contract calls for an increase in the number of DTCS devices, enhancements to the gateway and to the device itself, and some other advancements such as reduced latency,” he said. The enhancements will be built to open standards so that independent developers can leverage the technology to create unique innovations. “This will enable those across industry the opportunity to design and develop their own types of devices that can put on this architecture for whatever unique application they are trying to deliver,” said Valle. Thuraya’s NettedComms product is also based on open standards. “Many companies have tried to produce a netted communications solution to meet the demands and requirements of military users, but these invariably have significant limitations because all users must be using the same hardware from the same vendor,” said Moss. “In today’s multi-nation, multi-service arena, this introduces limited capability and places significant communications restrictions on coalition forces. Thuraya adopted a different approach and looks to integrate existing deployed hardware into the netted communications group. This makes the Thuraya solution cost effective and easy to implement.” Thuraya’s solution is also designed to integrate disparate voice communications services into a single coherent network to effectively enable voice communication in a closed user group that can operate independently from local terrestrial communications services. “As rapid deployment forces require voice communications that are instant, reliable and of the highest quality, Thuraya’s solution with its unique combination of modular communications platforms has the flexibility to provide instant, closed user groups over local, wide area or global networks,” said Moss. “Thuraya NettedComms is centrally managed and controlled, so users deployed at the remotes need no special training and have no special configuration or setup to perform. Should the mission change or individuals need to be reassigned, it takes just a couple of minutes to set up a new closed user group or reassign individuals to new groups.” Thuraya NettedComms uses technologies ranging from simple analog voice to Voice over Internet Protocol communications to meet this requirement. “This flexibility ensures the solution is fit for its purpose, uses the best infrastructure available and is always simple to use,” said Moss. “Each product element is optimized for a specific purpose and work environment. They are individually distributed worldwide but can also be combined to form a much wider, seamless solution thanks to our standards-based design philosophy.” The open standards and modularity of the system means that solutions can be swiftly and individually tailored to individual needs, they integrate legacy equipment with future technologies, and solutions are adaptable as push to talk and can be rapidly re-deployed in different environments. “Whether for disaster relief, emergency or military teams, this capability means that virtually any communications system deployed by coalition forces can be quickly and easily integrated to look like a single network,” said Moss. “Thuraya netted communications gives a push-to-talk capability that is the common element in each unique military or government solution that enables you to talk instantly to pre-defined groups of users with a single button press.” Vocality is a company that provides network efficiency tools. Its approach to netted communications is to offer capabilities that allow voice communications and data to be received with less delay and jitter. www.MIT-kmi.com
“Packets on IP networks are sometimes received out of order, and that leads to delay and jitter in the communications,” said Moskowitz. “We pull headers out of packets, which has the effect of compressing the packets. You only need one header for a packet. We also aggregate packets so that they flow properly and are received in the right order. All of this also has the effect of saving a lot of bandwidth.” “The vision for global netted communications,” said Scheimreif, “is to create a system that takes communications out of the tactical realm and elevates it to the strategic. Our satellite beam coverage of 250 miles satisfied tactical requirements. As we provide a larger footprint of coverage, we are moving out of the tactical space to support more strategic operations.” Iridium modified its satellite and communications architecture with three major software uploads between 2005 and 2012, seeking to widen the coverage of its satellite beams and then to be able to provide DTCS’s global capabilities. “We think DTCS global services will be able to support global logistics operations,” said Scheimreif. “The Air Mobility Command, for example, needs to communicate with multiple platforms in the transportation fleet, not only for the purposes of tracking and tracing but also for voice communications. You can develop a common operating picture for ground, air and maritime assets beyond the 250-mile footprint.” O For more information, contact MIT Editor Harrison Donnelly at harrisond@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives for related stories at www.mit-kmi.com.
MIT 17.6 | 7
MilSuite integrates four separate applications—a wiki, micro-blogging application, video-sharing site and professional networking tool. Hundreds of thousands of defense professionals are already collaborating using the military’s secure social media toolset, but the Army has now partnered with one of the Department of Defense’s leading information organizations to cement milSuite’s role as an official enterprise product. Under a new agreement between the Army chief information officer and the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), the milSuite applications, which are similar to popular social media sites but securely positioned behind the DoD Common Access Card-enabled firewall, are scheduled to be fully migrated to a DISA hosting facility. This migration is the first step in having milSuite join the DISA portfolio of products. MilSuite provides Web 2.0 collaboration capabilities that allow users to break down boundaries between organizations, installations and services. “MilSuite has truly evolved into a robust toolset being used across the armed forces,” said Tom Curran, product director for milSuite, which is currently managed by the Army’s Military Technical (MilTech) Solutions Office. “This partnership will allow milSuite to join a dynamic portfolio of products and ultimately give defense professionals a much more integrated experience when it comes to enterprise collaboration and knowledge management.” First launched for the Army in 2009 and expanded to the DoD enterprise in 2011, MilSuite is the first Web 2.0 capability designed by the military that integrates four separate applications—a wiki, microblogging application, video-sharing site and professional networking tool—onto one platform. “MilSuite is a game changer for the enterprise,” said Emerson Keslar, director of MilTech Solutions. “I am convinced this set of tools can and will change how DoD conducts its business processes by offering defense professionals both the necessary flexibility to build their own collaborative environment using a variety of tools, and the capability to search for and locate important discussions and content across all four of its applications.” By establishing a web-based platform behind the broad, but secure, authentication firewall of Common Access Cards, milSuite breaks down previous restrictions to true enterprisewide collaboration presented by other tools such as organizational shared drives, virtual private network clients, independent server solutions or restrictive intranet networks. Any registered milSuite user can instantly create a custom environment for collaboration, such as a working group on milBook, a tool similar to Facebook, or an informational portal on milWiki, a tool similar to Wikipedia. This autonomy allows individuals and organizations the ability to communicate and collaborate laterally on a secure domain, without the necessary licensing or manpower costs for maintaining an internal or stove-piped website. The military comprises thousands of organizations, people and systems with various missions and responsibilities. Boosting awareness 8 | MIT 17.6
By Emily Gee
of these entities and their missions through a knowledge repository like milSuite has a direct and indirect impact on the processes, funding and initiatives being worked on across DoD. For example, the Air Force Software Organizational Development Office recently discovered information on a milSuite discussion thread about a government off-the-shelf product, the Rapid Online Content Creation Environment (ROCCE). By deploying the ROCCE instead of developing its own custom training and development application, the Air Force saved an average of $10,000 a year in licensing fees and also avoided the usual review process required by the government for a new product, which could have taken roughly a year. “One of our goals in creating milSuite was to increase knowledge transfer by expanding everyone’s network within the military,” Curran said. “Today, sailors, soldiers, airmen, Marines and DoD civilians can discover information, engage with other experts and collaborate in a protected environment, regardless of their geographic location.” Thousands of professionals have created and joined hundreds of communities of practice on milSuite, centered on such diverse subjects as chaplaincy, medicine and tactical communications. Individuals and organizations are encouraged to use milSuite to share documents and lessons learned. For example, The Army’s Office of the Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps created a community space on milSuite, called “JAGConnect,” to share innovative ideas, new legal developments and the most up-to-date documents. This community forum proved mission-critical in 2012, as attorneys stationed worldwide were able to share the most up-to-date processing information for storm-related claims as clients dealt with damage from Hurricane Sandy in North America and Typhoon Jelawat in Asia. The milSuite toolset is being successfully utilized in a wide variety of defense organizations. The 13th Financial Management Support Center, based out of Fort Hood, Texas, integrated two milSuite tools, milWiki and milBook, to build a secure informational portal and collaborative forum for the Army and Marines theater financial management community while deployed to support Operation Enduring Freedom. The portal on milWiki is used to distribute policies, guidance and business processes pertaining to job functions such as financial operations, cash management, banking and electronic commerce. The milBook group allows users to collaborate on a host of issues affecting financial operations while preparing to deploy and throughout theater. O Emily Gee is with the Army Program Executive Office Command, Control, Communications-Tactical.
For more information, contact MIT Editor Harrison Donnelly at harrisond@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives for related stories at www.mit-kmi.com.
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Certified Comms
JTRS certification process serves as proof of a system’s compatibility with DoD network objectives. By Harrison Donnelly, MIT Editor
(JPEO) JTRS, which previously oversaw the Along with numerous ongoing tactical program. communications programs, one important “With the transition from long-term initiative originally JPEO JTRS to the JTNC durderived from the Joint Tactiing this past year, we had the cal Radio System (JTRS) is opportunity to codify a more the JTRS certification procomprehensive approach to cess, which serves as proof of providing affordable, interopa system’s compatibility with erable and secure tactical Department of Defense netwireless networking in supwork objectives. port of combatant comThe Joint Tactical Netmander, service and coalition working Center (JTNC) network mission requireannounced recently that Sudha Vyas ments,” said Sudha Vyas, Harris had received JTRS JTNC technical director. certification for the AN/PRC“We formalized the Technical Assessment 152A(V)(C) operating Soldier Radio Wavefor Compliance and Certification (TACC) form (SRW) software version 1.01.1C. As a process as a way to provide the tactical JTRS certified product, the AN/PRC-152A SDR acquisition community a governmentradio is compliant with JTRS technical verified, independent characterization of a assessment criteria. system’s risk and vulnerability to support JTRS certification is part of an evolving procurement and fielding decisions—risk process to ensure end-to-end joint service and vulnerability as it relates to its ability to interoperability and security. The rigorous interoperate securely in a joint tactical netprocess verifies and validates that softwareworking environment,” she explained. defined radios operating JTRS waveforms As a result of the SDR expertise and have undergone technical assessments to knowledge of current and emerging threats mitigate development and government progained during the lengthy history of JTRS, curement risks. the TACC process covers not only the tra“The JTRS certification process supports ditional DoD certifications, such as those DoD and the services in building tactical performed by the National Security Agency networks that are interoperable and secure and Joint Interoperability Test Command, using radios running JTRS waveforms. It is but also includes assessments of technolopen to all vendors porting these waveforms ogy protection measures and supply chain onto their products, thus supporting the risk management, cyber-threats and other department’s Better Buying Power focus on vulnerabilities, and electromagnetic compatpromoting effective competition and incenibilities. tivizing innovation,” said Mark Compton, “The bottom line,” said Vyas, “is that who serves as JTNC director and assistant we want to enable DoD and the services to program executive officer for the Army Prodesign and architect tactical networks with gram Executive Office for Command, Conan acceptable level of risk that is secure and trol and Communications-Tactical. interoperable.” The JTRS certification process was instiIn addition, JTNC officials also are tuted in January 2012 based on an evolving emphasizing support of non-developmental effort to leverage the lessons learned and the item (NDI) acquisition strategies, which current and emerging knowledge/expertise have become more prevalent today with in software-defined radio (SDR) technologies the implementation of the Better Buying and the networking waveforms developed Power (BPP) 2.0 initiative by the Office of under the Joint Program Executive Office www.MIT-kmi.com
the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics. The goal is to qualify a competitive landscape of tactical SDR networking devices (specifically those devices that are executing the JTRS networking waveforms) developed in large part by internal industry investments leveraging access to the Information Repository of waveforms and design artifacts. “Our TACC process provides the access and sponsorship mechanisms for those NDI vendors that would otherwise not be afforded the opportunity to obtain government-verification that their systems do meet the performance, interoperability and secure requirements and are qualified to compete,” Vyas said, adding that support to NDI vendors directly aligns with the BBP 2.0 initiative by providing a competitive landscape to help drive down tactical networking unit and life cycle costs. The certification process includes extensive testing by the JTNC in collaboration with NSA, Army Research and Technology Portection Center, Army Research Laboratory Survivability/Lethality Analysis Directorate and JITC, evaluating tactical networking systems in terms of waveform performance, interoperability, threats from other systems executing the same waveforms, and adherence to NSA- and JITC-specific requirements. In addition to actual product testing, the JTNC also performs a number of analyses on issues such as how well an organization safeguards critical technologies and potential supply chain risks. “The current TACC processes directly align with the current and evolving policies being promulgated by the DoD Chief Information Office with respect to overall waveform development and management and joint interoperability and security,” said Vyas. O For more information, contact MIT Editor Harrison Donnelly at harrisond@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives for related stories at www.mit-kmi.com.
MIT 17.6 | 9
Upgrade of Reserve Component Automation Systems brings new capabilities for those supporting the Army Reserve and National Guard. By Harrison Donnelly, MIT Editor 10 | MIT 17.6
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After two years of development and testing, the Army has released a new version of the Reserve Component Automation Systems (RCAS) program, which provides IT services to its Army National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve components. A 25-year-old acquisition program currently under the Army Program Executive Office Enterprise Information Systems, RCAS supplies both hardware and software for more than 100,000 full-time military www.MIT-kmi.com
Despite the winding down of those conflicts, staff who support the rest of the nation’s however, the Reserve component forces are citizen-soldiers. expected to maintain an active operational The primary objective of the new version profile, and so RCAS will continue to fill a was to evolve RCAS to keep up with the latvital need. est in information technology. But the new “Over the last few years, our mobilizarelease also provides an updated look to all tion application was heavily used as we of the RCAS applications, as well as giving started to bring the Reserve component users a secure, modern platform. from a strategic force to a more operational The system comprises 19 applications force. We have continuously modernized for the day-to-day operations of the Army that application over the years to meet the National Guard and Reserve, including growing need for mobilizing and deploymobilization, safety recording, personnel ing the Guard and Reserve,” actions and force authorizaOcasio said. tions, as well as the network “We anticipated that components that support the would slow down, but we backbone that the applicahaven’t seen it, because units tions ride on. Benefits include are still being mobilized,” he improved decision-making added. “The hope is to mainand better information mantain them as an operational agement due to the increased force, and not go back to the accessibility, flexibility and past when we just called them knowledge-sharing that the up when needed, but to keep system provides; a stable, concurrent. We’ll continue to reliable and responsive archiRalph Ocasio keep the tools concurrent to tecture that supports the allow them to do that.” Reserve components’ needs and improves Looking ahead, Ocasio hopes to continue mission effectiveness, interoperability and changes that will make the system more operational readiness of IT systems; and responsive to evolving needs, following the enhanced visibility of unit availability and concept of agile software sustainment being readiness to Army Forces Command. explored by a variety of Army organizations. Ralph Ocasio, RCAS project director, “One of the big challenges has been susexplained the latest upgrades this way: “Just taining and deploying software pieces fast,” recently, we undertook a huge modernizahe explained. “We’re getting requirements, tion effort, and the result was RCAS 7.0, analyzing and breaking them down, doing which we started deploying in May. We will the development, checking it, and then hit all 50 states and three territories and the finally deploying. It was a time-consuming, District of Columbia for the National Guard inefficient process. What we’re hoping to do and three sites for the Army Reserve. It is to bring to the table a new approach that includes updating our integrated database, allows us to sustain and deploy software moving to Oracle 11gR2. We’ve modernized faster. We’re looking at a more agile methodall of the applications as far as the code base, ology, where we can get more involved with standardizing within a Microsoft .NET 4.0 our stakeholders and developers, and ensure framework. In addition, we upgraded our that we’re building pieces of software at a infrastructure, deploying new storage area much quicker rate and getting it out to the network devices to all Army National Guard field while it’s still relevant.” states and territories and the Army Reserve. In the coming months the RCAS office “We also took advantage while we were will be transitioning to a new sustainment in there to secure the system to ensure and integration contract, which will mark that we minimized our vulnerabilities, and a significant departure from current busiclosed a couple that existed,” he continued. ness processes, and will allow the system to “We’ve run different scans across the code embark on a new more efficient and effective base and mitigated any findings. What we’re way of doing business. O deploying to the field today is a much more secure and modern system that is able to scale up as we move into the future.” The role of RCAS has been particularly For more information, contact MIT Editor Harrison Donnelly at harrisond@kmimediagroup.com important over the past decade, as the Army or search our online archives for related stories at National Guard and Army Reserve were www.mit-kmi.com. heavily deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq. MIT 17.6 | 11
CYBER PERSPECTIVES
As technology advances, the lines between acts of cyber-terrorism and cyber-warfare are being blurred. By Clay Wilson
(Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series of articles on cybersecurity and related topics by experts from government, industry and academia.) Although U.S. Cyber Command is vigilant in its watch for threat actors in cyberspace, critical civilian infrastructure systems that are privately owned and operated offer an especially inviting target for cyberattack. The U.S. critical infrastructure is online and increasingly connected to the Internet. This presents a large opportunity for threat actors who can probe for and then attack these vulnerable systems. As traditional physical acts of terrorism evolve when combined with advanced technology, however, the lines between an act of cyber-terrorism and cyber-warfare are being blurred. A future cyber-attack, large or small, involving severe disruption or damage may be lacking the usual characteristics of violence, explosion and death that we typically associate with terrorism. As the technology 12 | MIT 17.6
for malicious code has evolved, it is the silent, stealth characteristic that now makes a cyber-attack most effective. It is these same characteristics that can be seen in past cyber-attacks that observers have called “cyber-espionage,” “cyber-sabotage” and possible “cyber-warfare.” Terrorism, in the traditional sense, may be defined as a violent act intended to force public attention to achieve political change through physical attacks directed against civilians. Many people believe that terrorism is evident based primarily on effects involving mass destruction or injury, even before intent can be clearly determined, as in the case of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. Others believe that terrorism is evident based primarily on the intent to
destroy or injure, even if the act itself was unsuccessful, as in the case of the infamous shoe bomber. For many, just an association of the attacker with extremist groups often removes all uncertainty about an actor’s intent to terrorize. When we think of terrorism, we often think of news reports that show the results of violent attacks by extremists who may use explosives to create smoke, fire and destruction. For this reason, it is easy to imagine that cyber-terrorism will likely have characteristics of a sudden strike, where people are immediately thrown into chaos. Two commonly discussed scenarios include disruption of industrial facilities and the sudden loss of electrical power, or a shutdown of cellphone and 911 communications. www.MIT-kmi.com
It is true that a cyber-attack can cause physical damage to industrial facilities, but cyber-terrorism can be done gradually and in stages, without sudden violence. A cyberattack can operate quietly inside a computer for years without detection, where it can perform mapping and espionage, and also implant additional malicious code for later activation. When done in stages, the first stage involves cyber-espionage intrusions that capture the valid credentials of administrators and managers, and make unauthorized use of them to quietly prepare the target for a follow-up, second stage cyberattack. The second stage can also be subtle, slowly degrading the targeted facility until repairs can no longer keep up with the ongoing disruptions. An example is the Stuxnet virus, which remained undetected for several years while it slowly spread and degraded Iran’s nuclear facilities, at the same time showing false instrument readings to facility operators. A cyber-attack that prepares the battlefield for future malicious activity may initially be labeled as cyber-espionage. However, as other malicious code is inserted during the espionage, and then later activated, the combined cyber-espionage and cyber-sabotage can eventually be called cyber-warfare. In the case of Stuxnet, it was strongly suspected that Iran’s nuclear capability was intended for military purposes. If a Stuxnet-style cyberattack were directed by an individual linked to a known extremist group against civilian nuclear facilities inside the U.S., that event might be considered an act of cyber-terrorism. Or that same cyber-attack against a civilian facility could possibly be labeled cyber-warfare if attributed to a nation state. Even if the damage to the nuclear plant equipment were severe, the violence commonly associated with a traditional terrorism event may or may not be apparent. Instead, the potential threat of radioactive leakage might cause enough public fear and distress to become a valid substitute for physical violence. Cyber-conflict occurs between nation states over economic advantage or political or religious philosophy, and also occurs between individuals and targeted states for the same reasons. In some cases, a nationwww.MIT-kmi.com
Navy Lt. Samuel Trassare, left, a Naval Postgraduate School student in the Cyber Warfare curriculum, makes his presentation on research in network deception to the deputy commander of U.S. Cyber Command, Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Jon Davis, in the school’s Information Dominance Center for Excellence. Trassare’s work attempts to create a false network topology to deceive an attacker. [Photo courtesy of U.S. Navy/by Javier Chagoya/Released]
state may condone and even encourage its citizens to launch cyber-attacks that may parallel or support the aims of the nation state. Individuals acting secretly as state agents when launching cyber-attacks could, in some cases, be viewed as cyber-terrorists, depending on intentions or the severity of their attack. But, these cyber-attacks launched by individuals could also support goals for cyber-warfare. The private sector is raising the security awareness of its staff and managers, and security controls for vulnerable facilities are being upgraded. From now on, a cyberattack must have a design that is sophisticated enough to penetrate the increasingly tough security measures currently being employed by most organizations. Therefore, the attack methods for cyberterrorism or cyber-warfare may become increasingly similar. If the cyber-attack were attributed to an extremist group, then it would likely be labeled by observers as cyber-terrorism. If the same cyberattack were attributed to a nation state, then it would likely be labeled by observers as cyberespionage, cyber-sabotage and finally as an act of cyber-warfare.
As technology advances and methods for cyberattack become more sophisticated and stealthy, the distinction between cyberterrorism and cyber-warfare may continue to blur, or eventually vanish. O
Clay Wilson
clay.wilson@umuc.edu Clay Wilson, Ph.D., CISSP, is director of the cyber security policy program at the University of Maryland University College.
For more information, contact MIT Editor Harrison Donnelly at harrisond@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives for related stories at www.mit-kmi.com.
MIT 17.6 | 13
DATA BYTES DISA Acquires High-Capacity Voice Encryption Device The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) has signed an agreement with EADS North America to purchase three units of its ECTOCRYP Black high-capacity secure voice encryption device. The device, which recently was approved for operation by the National Security Agency and evaluated by the Joint Interoperability Test Command, helps DISA meet requirements for next-generation secure voice services, including communications that are more agile. Compared to other Secure Communications Interoperability Protocol (SCIP) devices, ECTOCRYP Black’s combination of high capacity, relatively small size and programmability enables options for secure voice communications that previously were not possible. DISA will deploy the ECTOCRYP Black encryption units in two of its Defense Enterprise Computing Centers. With four T1 interfaces that allow for 92 simultaneous individual calls per unit and the ability to store hundreds of cipher keys, ECTOCRYP Black provides interoperability between classified and unclassified networks to a greater degree than any existing system of its size, as well as potential key management efficiencies. Through the device, users on unclassified networks equipped with SCIP-compliant phones can communicate transparently with secured enclaves and engage in enterprise services, such as secure teleconferencing with multiple locations.
Army, Air Force Issue Major Contract Awards The Army has selected six companies for Information Technology Enterprise Solution-2, a firm-fixed-price, multiple-award, task-order contract with a maximum value of $494 million for hardware, software and related integration services. Performance location and funding will be determined with each order. The companies are Dell Federal Systems, IBM, Unicom Government, CDW Government, Iron Bow Technologies, and World Wide Technology. In addition, the Air Force has awarded Lockheed Martin Information Systems and Global Solutions, TYBRIN, Harris IT Services Corp., SRA International, Raytheon and L-3 National Security Solutions a $960 million multiple award contract for Network-Centric Solutions-2 Application Services. This contract vehicle will provide services such as sustainment, migration, integration, training, help desk support, testing and operational support.
Cross Domain Solution Enables Secure Email Exchange
C4ISR Platform Links Sensors and Communications DRS Tactical Systems has launched the C4InSight Integrated C4ISR Management System, which enables commanders and platform operators to control and interface with sensors, communications equipment, mission command applications, navigational devices, and platform vetronics from any workstation in the platform. All of the voice, video and data from these platform devices can be connected across the tactical network with adjacent platforms, remote command posts, higher headquarters and, when desired, with coalition partners. At the core of C4InSight are the DRS Data Distribution Unit and the Mission Command Software Suite. These components can be employed to interoperate with existing platform displays and computers, or can be augmented by a suite of available DRS TS products, such as the Joint Platform Tablet computer and Scorpion handheld devices. In addition to providing new capabilities to integrate various platform C4ISR devices, C4InSight also achieves significant reductions in size, weight, power and cost. It provides a scalable, cost-effective and integrated C4ISR management system to meet current tactical platform modernization objectives as well as future platform C4ISR requirements. 14 | MIT 17.6
Raytheon Trusted Computer Solutions has launched the Trusted Mail System cross domain solution, which enables the secure, policy-enforced exchange of emails and attachments between users on different networks, eliminating the need to switch between systems at multiple levels. Trusted Mail System improves user productivity and saves money by eliminating the need for multiple email clients for the same user. In addition, it improves security by prescreening and enforcing security policy on all email content including the size, type and number of attachments. The software requires no change to the user’s desktop, making it easy to implement. Trusted Mail System uses the widely deployed, accredited and Unified Cross Domain Management Office Baseline-listed Trusted Gateway System (TGS) as the Protection Level 4 cross domain guard component. TGS ensures that malicious data is not transferred from the low side to the high side network and that sensitive data is not inadvertently or intentionally transferred from high to low.
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Compiled by KMI Media Group staff
Navy Orders Latest Airborne Jammer
Shared Computing Environment Aids Data Center Consolidation
Naval Air Systems Command has awarded ITT Exelis a contract valued at more than $125 million to deliver the latest variant of the AN/ALQ-214 airborne jammer. The AN/ALQ-214 is a subsystem of the Integrated Defensive Electronic Countermeasures suite. The AN/ALQ-214(V)4/5 combines sensitive digital receivers and active countermeasures to protect aircraft from radio frequency threats such as air defense radars and guided missiles. The new variant of the ALQ-214 system will be used on both the F/A-18 C/D Hornet and F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet aircraft.
Forensic Toolkit Exposes More Data in Less Time Forensic Toolkit (FTK) 5 from AccessData brings an even faster and more comprehensive FTK capable of exposing more data in less time. FTK 5 includes data visualization and explicit image detection (EID) out of the box. These two critical investigative capabilities give FTK users a great advantage, compared to tackling these tasks with other products. Data visualization features automated graphical timeline construction and analysis of social relationships, and investigators can include visualization images in their case reports. EID detects not only flesh tones but conducts a thorough analysis of shapes and orientation. Furthermore, FTK 5 integrates with Microsoft PhotoDNA, which creates a unique signature for a digital image, like a fingerprint, that can be compared with the signatures of other images to find copies and variations of images of interest. FTK 5 also delivers enhanced Internet analysis with a new dedicated Internet/Chat tab that allows users easier access to these artifacts that are more and more often integral to a case. The enhanced analysis capabilities include new Internet artifact carvers for more than 30 additional web applications/services, social media sites and games.
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Lockheed Martin will continue to provide enhanced communications reliability, survivability, information capabilities and user support within the National Capital Region on behalf of the Air Force District of Washington under a new $320 million contract. Under the new one-year base, nine options award, Lockheed Martin will run the Network Command Center, supporting the Air Force’s National Capital Region IT communications network used by all Air Force personnel in the Washington, D.C. region, including the Pentagon, Joint Base Andrews and Joint Base AnacostiaBolling. Services will include desktop support, enterprise applications, plans, projects and engineering services, and National Military Command Center support. In addition to the site consolidations, Lockheed Martin also created the Shared Computing Environment (SCE)—a migration of enterprise platforms across a unified infrastructure of storage, computers, networks and virtualization environment—establishing a virtual computing space. The new SCE provides the next-generation virtual server environment that will enable consolidation of hundreds of network servers currently operating at numerous locations across the National Capital Region. Data center consolidation is a major Department of Defense initiative to maximize resources, increase workload efficiency and reduce operating costs.
Advanced Extremely High Frequency Satellite Units Readied Northrop Grumman has delivered the first of approximately 20 electronics units for the fourth Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite payload, allowing the integration and test phase of production to get under way. AEHF, the next generation of protected military communications satellites, provides vastly improved global, survivable, highly secure, protected communications for strategic command and tactical warfighters operating on ground, sea and air platforms. The system also serves international partners including Canada, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Delivery of the uplink phased array high-efficiency converter (UHEC) means that testing of the uplink phased array subsystem can begin later this year. The UHEC delivery paved the way for payload integration and testing, which began May 1. All electronics units will be integrated onto AEHF-4’s payload module, which was delivered last November by AEHF prime contractor Lockheed Martin Space Systems. Northrop Grumman is the AEHF satellite payload provider. When completed, the fully integrated payload module will be shipped to Lockheed Martin for final satellite integration and test.
MIT 17.6 | 15
Technical Synchronizer
Q& A
Bringing C2 and Network Defense to a Higher Level Brigadier General Brian T. Dravis Director JIE Technical Synchronization Office Defense Information Systems Agency
Air Force Brigadier General Brian T. Dravis is director, Joint Information Environment (JIE) Technical Synchronization Office (JTSO) at the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), Fort Meade, Md. In this role, he is responsible for leading architectural engineering and design to develop the Department of Defense’s JIE. Previously, Dravis was commander of the 194th Wing, Camp Murray, Wash. Born and raised in Sacramento, Calif., he graduated from San Jose State University and has completed multiple military education courses including the Air War College. Q: What is JIE? A: JIE is a DoD initiative that seeks to transition our current servicespecific cyberspace postures into a singular joint information environment. In support of JIE, we are engineering a DoD network with enduring flexibility to support existing and future capabilities of all service components. Perhaps the most critical improvement realized by JIE will be the changes improving the overall security of the DoD enterprise. I personally like to use the term “cyberspace sovereignty” when looking at net defense. By that, I mean our DoD networks exist for the sole use of DoD and our interagency partners—they are not and never were intended to be compromised, and we should treat the sovereignty of our networks as seriously as we do airspace, territorial waters, and so on. We’re not there yet, but JIE offers a real meaningful step towards that goal. JIE will take us there by collapsing the broad DoD cyberspace into manageable and securable zones, putting sensors at the best, most efficient places, automating certain processes, and consolidating certain operational elements, tools and personnel to smooth and accelerate more rapid threat response. JIE will synchronize current and future architectures, engineering designs, enterprise services, capabilities and applications. The intended end-state is a secure joint information environment, comprising a shared information technology infrastructure, enterprise services, and a single security architecture that will achieve full spectrum superiority, improve mission effectiveness, increase security, and ultimately realize IT efficiencies. Q: What is the status of JIE and what is significant about your current status? 16 | MIT 17.6
A: We’ve taken an initial step, with EUCOM and AFRICOM of establishing the first Enterprise Operations Center [EOC], which declared initial operating capability [IOC] on July 31. The declaration is significant because it helps chart the course for Increment 1, the first deployment of JIE capabilities. The crucial contributing factor to the establishment of JIE is joint collaboration. We are very impressed with the significant collaboration between the Army and Air Force in Europe and beyond, which is helping establish foundational capabilities for JIE. Part of what makes this IOC milestone truly important, and perhaps most profound, is that it is honestly ‘joint’ in its construct and execution. At IOC we have an Army EOC commander working hand in hand with Air Force commanders at RAF Molesworth, RAF Alconbury, and Air Force NETOPS command and control elements at the 624 Operations Center in San Antonio, Texas. This really is unprecedented by past standards, and is merely the first step of many towards realizing the JIE end state. USCYBERCOM, USEUCOM, USAFRICOM, the service components and DISA all played a significant roles in the achievement of the IOC by validating the JIE management construct and relationship between the EOC and bases, and the tactics, techniques, and procedures [TTPs], including reporting procedures. As a result, EOC has visibility and situational awareness of select installation-level networks and has command and control of the installation-level enterprise connections. www.MIT-kmi.com
Additional efforts in this first phase include optimizing bandwidth and building a list of TTPs that will inform and establish a baseline for the single security architecture, a key feature of JIE. Eventually, the EOC will have visibility of JIE down to the base network level. Other DoD offices are building a concept of operation that will describe how the EOC fits within a global command and control construct to manage the network at the end state. It’s a tough, laborious, intensive process to develop the necessary architectures, artifacts, concepts and engineering structures leading to JIE; occasionally it can be contentious. Some of the technologies we will be using are just now coming to fruition. It’s important to remember that JIE is not a program of record, nor is it an established acquisition program. Because that’s the case, we are working through the issues of fielding capability through intelligent decisions to close capability gaps in order to move in the direction of JIE. Q: What are the benefits for the services and combatant commanders? A: The key benefit of JIE will be a combatant commander’s ability to “see down through the network” and know what’s really happening in, through, and on his or her critical links and nodes. By making the transition from status quo, the shift to cloud computing, core data centers, moving from thick to thin client and broad deployment of Multi-Protocol Label Switching, any given combatant
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commander will have greater confidence that the critical backbone needed for regional or global operations is a constant enabler of mission success. JIE represents a fundamental change in the way DoD approaches the subject of IT as an administrative business practice, and cyberspace as an operational domain. It is centered on the operational capability within the intended end-state of a singular joint information environment as a DoD-wide enterprise that will be much better defended in cyberspace while ultimately gaining those significant efficiencies. In the long term, JIE brings command and control and defense of the network to a higher level, streamlining the command and control structure, and reducing the attack surface and number of access points that are vulnerable to attack. There are six capabilities that are established for all of DoD as part of JIE: network normalization and transport; single security architecture; enterprise operations centers and out-of-bandwidth management; unified capabilities; identity access management; and core data centers at the enterprise level. Q: What is your mission as the director of the Joint Information Environment Technical Synchronization Office? A: My focus is synchronization and implementation of the transition from the existing ad hoc construct of service-specific networks to this DoD joint information environment. I really am tasked to work closely with each of the services to ensure that their equities are
MIT 17.6 | 17
advocated, addressed, accounted for and then deliberated, and in the end to assist in determining what the technical requirements will be to field this capability. Q: What role does DISA play in developing JIE, and what is your role as the JTSO? A: The JTSO develops, integrates and synchronizes the JIE technical plans, programs and capabilities, and executes many JIE tasks. I work with the services and agencies, including DISA as an agency, so all of these elements feed into the development of the technical architectures and attributes of JIE as an environment. We are partnered with the Joint Operational Support Group and DoD chief information officer, and the three of us feed up to the DoD Executive Council which actually makes the decisions regarding JIE. That’s how the management construct works. DISA as an agency has a critical role because it has to a great extent already deployed much of the foundational components of JIE that now need to be expanded to integrate with the service solutions. These include those capabilities that I listed previously: network normalization and transport, single security architecture, enterprise operations centers and out-of-bandwidth management, unified capabilities, identity access management, and core data centers at the enterprise level. Based on the architectures that we design, at end-state military members will have access to their data wherever they are deployed in the world.
Q: What are the successes you have seen with JIE so far? A: Colonel Rich Price and his DISA Europe team, with the great support of the Army and Air Force organizations they are working with in Europe, have worked through a host of challenges with respect to command and control and getting information out to EUCOM/ AFRICOM early on. They moved out and developed concepts and TTPs that have given us a great jump start to understand what must be resolved, both technically and operationally, once everything is in place. A lot of people from throughout DoD have worked very hard and made profound contributions already towards making JIE a reality. As I say frequently, much work has been done, much work remains. I’ve been deeply impressed by the commitment and dedication I’ve witnessed from all stakeholders. Q: What is the way ahead for JIE? A: As we continue to mature JIE within Increment 1 fielding, we are really putting emphasis on synchronization of our existing networks by development, exercise and testing of paradigm-shifting TTPs within that area of responsibility. Prior to JIE, there really wasn’t a requirement for each of the services to collaborate or coordinate their respective NETOPS. Of course, the establishment of U.S. Cyber Command helped drive changes in that regard, and JIE is really the next logically extended step for DoD to better secure and effectively operate within cyberspace. O
R U O TH
12
The Navy’s shift to the Pacific inspires our twelfth title and website...
E TL TI
will support the Navy with the latest program developments in air and sea for Congress, the executive branch, other services and industry.
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COMSATCOM Center Update (Editor’s Note: Following is an update on the latest news from the Defense Information Systems Agency’s Commercial Satellite Communications [COMSATCOM] Center, based on the center’s newsletter, “COMSATCOM Scoop,” available at: www.disa.mil/services/satcom/ comsatcom-services/scoop-newsletter).
Inmarsat Legacy Services— Planning for Transition For over 15 years, the Inmarsat I-3 constellation of satellites has supported a wide array of land, maritime and aeronautical mobile satellite services (MSS) to the military and government sectors, providing near-global access to voice, data and safety services. As the end-of-life expectancy for these satellites approaches, users must plan for the retirement of legacy services and the transition to the I-4 constellation and services. There are eight legacy services with fixed retirement dates, six of which retire within the next 18 months. The first to reach end-of-life is Large-Antenna Mini-M which retired in July. The Global Area Network service, also known as M4 and land-based Mini-M services, retires in September 2014. This will affect approximately 2,000 M4 and 600 Mini-M users. The options for replacing these with I-4 compatible services are either Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN) or Global Satellite Phone Service (GSPS) via IsatPhone Pro and IsatPhone Link. The next round of retiring services will affect approximately 1,000 users in December 2014, when Inmarsat D-plus, Inmarsat B and Inmarsat M will reach end-of-life. Inmarsat B and M users may transition to either FleetBroadband or BGAN, depending on the requirement. Inmarsat D-plus users can opt for either IsatM2M, on the I-3 constellation until www.MIT-kmi.com
I-3 end-of-life, or IsatData Pro, which is available on the I-4 satellites. The final round of retiring services will occur in December 2016, and will affect approximately 30 maritime Mini-M users and 60 Aero H users. Maritime Mini-M users have the option to switch to FleetBroadband or GSPS FleetPhone, while Aero H users can trade up to Swift 64 or SwiftBroadband services. Users of Aero H-plus and Inmarsat C will not need replacement services; they will transition to the I-4 constellation. Inmarsat has not announced retirement dates for Fleet 33, Fleet 55, Fleet 77, Swift 64, Aero I and IsatM2M. These services will continue on the I-3 constellation for as long as it is operational. As services retire or transition to the new constellation, Inmarsat is also simplifying its network infrastructure by closing eight I-3 ground earth stations (GES) and transitioning services to two new Inmarsat GESs. The user impact of this change is that Aero H-Plus and Aero I will no longer provide PC data and fax, broadcast data, or secure voice services. Users of these services should review their requirements and upgrade to Swift 64 or SwiftBroadband, if necessary. The COMSATCOM Center advises all Inmarsat customers to review their current services and mission requirements to avoid any lapse in service as these changes occur. For assistance or questions, contact the MSS help desk at 301-225-2600.
Ka Implications for COMSATCOM Almost 75 years ago, the age of highfrequency communications began with the use of C-band for microwaves and radar applications. To place that into perspective, radar was supposed to detect the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941. Now fast forward to the 21st century, and a new age of high-frequency communications called Kaband is becoming the novelty of the satellite industry. What is this new capability? Following is a basic introduction to Kaband as it relates to SATCOM: •
Ka-Band. An 18-Wheel Data Hauler. Ka-band will trigger a significant stepchange in the satellite communications industry. While presenting challenges for some existing operators, it will create new opportunities and business models for others. Ka-band is the logical extension to Ku-band, and will evolve to be the delivery mechanism of choice for emerging markets and high-demand regions throughout the world. Ka is bringing an additional 2500 GHz of raw bandwidth to the SATCOM spectrum (2.5 times the raw bandwidth of C and Ku combined). When this raw spectrum is reused with polarization, regional beams, steerable beams and especially “spot beams,” a typical Ka-band satellite has the potential of offering eight to 12 times the capacity of a typical Ku-band MIT 17.6 | 19
•
•
satellite. As a comparative analogy, imagine the C-band spectrum as a pickup truck data hauler; the Ku-band spectrum would then resemble a U-Haul truck data hauler, and the Ka-band would be an 18-wheel data hauler. Although the Ka-band satellites are the center of attention in most Ka-band discussions, the new technologies— such as spot beams, steerable beams, automatic power-control, antennas design and signal processing— introduced to support and optimize Ka-band systems are just as important as the satellites themselves. Ka Spectrum Allocation. ITU’s Radio Regulations have not strictly defined Ka-band limits. However, for the purposes of this presentation, we will define the Ka-SATCOM spectrum as the frequency band extending from 17.3GHz to 31GHz. Within this spectrum, the 27.5GHz to 31GHz is for uplink services (ground to satellite transmissions) and the 17.3GHz to 21.8GHz is for downlink services (satellite to ground transmissions). This spectrum has approximately 1GHz of bandwidth for terrestrial and HDTV services, leaving approximately 2.5GHz for various SATCOM services. This 2.5 GHz SATCOM spectrum within the Ka-band is then reduced two sub-bands: a 1GHz government and military band that extends from 30GHz to 31GHz in the uplink and 20.2GHz to 21.2GHz in the downlink; and a 1.5GHz commercial band allocated to the operation of GEO, MEO and LEO satellites. Ka Transition Challenges. The fact that most SATCOM service providers and customers currently use Ku infrastructures and equipment will create challenges in Ka deployment. Some of these challenges include but are not limited to economic challenges, such as that providers with high investments in Ku infrastructures would like to amortize current assets before making significant investments in Ka. Secondly, customers with large Ku-band networks of dozens or perhaps hundreds of terminals would also like to amortize their current assets before making Ka investments. Third, the price-point of Ka components and devices are high compared to similar Ku RF/IF devices (the dish or antenna structure may be cheaper, but the
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•
amplifiers, converters and control electronics are still pricey).Technical challenges include the fact that while Ka offers several advantages, it also brings along some technical challenges such as its high susceptibility to rain and propagation effects. To mitigate these issues, technical remedies such as automatic power control and adaptive coding schemes are introduced or integrated into the “Ka culture.” This new technical culture is yet to assimilate or receive acceptance by the current generation of SATCOM engineers and technicians. It could take three to five years for the engineering community to appreciate all the nuances and optimization tricks of Ka systems. An analogy would be that a chef who uses “Idaho potatoes” effectively in menus requires a different appreciation of “sweet potatoes” in order to realize similar effectiveness. There are also regulatory challenges, as in developing countries, where spectrum is often exploited with very political overtones. This culture limits the incentives for entrepreneurs and private companies, and slows down the development and implementation of new technologies. Conclusion. Seventy years ago, C-band changed the use of higher frequency landscape, and 30 years ago the Ku-band altered the SATCOM landscape significantly. During the next decade, the Ka-band will change SATCOM even more dramatically than the Ku-band. Due to increasing demand in SATCOM services, the C and Ku spectrum can no longer meet the projected global SATCOM demand. For the SATCOM users, Ka-band is set to offer a vast range of competitive multi-media services at the lowest cost-per-bit yet achieved.
Despite several economic, regulatory and technical challenges presented to Ka-band operational implementation—which include deeper rain fades, atmospheric effect, potential adjacent satellite interference, inter-spot handoffs, automatic power control and adaptive coding—the SATCOM industry is developing solutions to mitigate Ka-band constraints. It views the Ka-band as an enormous opportunity to advance the information revolution with new broadband and multimedia services.
Secure SATCOM Tool Automates Access Requests At the beginning of the year, U.S. Strategic Command rolled out the Joint Integrated SATCOM Tool (JIST), which allows all COMSATCOM customers to submit satellite access requests and gateway access requests (SAR/ GAR) via a secure portal to their servicing regional SATCOM support center (RSSC). JIST is one of two components that make up the Joint SATCOM Management Enterprise. JIST is the SATCOM user interface and supports the SAR/GAR submission and authorization process. The second component, which supports operational management and oversight of Department of Defense SATCOM resources, is the Joint SATCOM Management and Planning System. Formerly, submitting a SAR/GAR for approval was often a tedious and confusing process that required submission via email through the requester’s validation and approval authorities and ultimately their servicing RSSC. This often resulted in lost requests and numerous communications between the requesters and combatant command, service or agency validation authorities, and the resource planners to resolve errors and incomplete information. JIST provides a common portal, accessed via SIPRNet, for SAR submissions. With JIST, you are able to see your COMSATCOM SAR status in the approval process at all times. The automated system will also check for completeness and common errors before routing the request through the pre-established “chop chain” to the appropriate validation authority and planning activity. Planners and resource managers then use the automated system to produce the satellite access authorization and deliver it to the requester. Process automation is one benefit of this system. By having a common portal, resource managers are also provided with a near realtime picture of DoD SATCOM resource usage, allowing them to more effectively manage the prioritization, scheduling, and engineering of solutions. O For more information on JIST, contact Dale Conley at 402-294-9934 (DSN 312-2719934) or visit the JIST portal on SIPRNet at https://jist.afspc.af.smil.mil/jist. For more information, contact MIT Editor Harrison Donnelly at harrisond@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives for related stories at www.mit-kmi.com.
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Special Report: Guide to Key
Contracts
Guide to Key DISA Contracts
[
Editor’s Note: Following is the latest available information, obtained from a variety of sources, about key Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) contracts, as selected by KMI Media Group editors. The Future Commercial Satellite Communications (COMSATCOM) Services Acquisition is a joint program between DISA and the General Services Administration. Information on the agency’s numerous other contract programs is available at https://www.ditco.disa.mil/contracts.
]
Future Commercial Satellite Communications (COMSATCOM) Services Acquisition (FCSA) Multiple award schedules under GSA IT Schedule 70 Special Item Numbers (SIN) 132-54 and 132- 55 for Commercial Satellite Transponded Capacity and Fixed/Mobile Subscription Services. Custom SATCOM Solution-Small Business (CS2-SB) multiple award ID/IQ contracts and Custom SATCOM Solutions (CS2)-Full and Open ID/IQ multiple award contracts. Description FCSA is a strategic partnership between the General Services Administration (GSA) and DISA, creating a streamlined, easy-touse solution for all government commercial satellite communications needs. Previously, GSA’s Federal Acquisition Service and DISA awarded and managed individual satellite communications contracts. By combining acquisition efforts and better leveraging the government’s buying power, FCSA is reshaping the commercial satellite market and efficiently delivering end-to-end commercial satellite solutions to all government customers. FSCA has three service areas: Transponded Capacity, Subscription Services and End-to-End Solutions.
COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS AND SERVICES IT Schedule 70 features a wide variety of commercial satellite products and services: Transponded Capacity COMSATCOM Transponded Capacity—Subject to Cooperative Purchasing (SIN 132 54) Includes owning/operating or reselling dedicated bandwidth and power on a communications satellite in any available
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COMSATCOM frequency band, including, but not limited to, L-, S-, C-, X-, Ku-, extended Ku-, Ka-, and UHF. COMSATCOM Transponded Capacity refers to satellite bandwidth and power only. Such services allow customer-proposed waveforms, and industry approved solutions to apply leased bandwidth to meet individual requirements as needed. COMSATCOM Transponded Capacity includes all services necessary to allow the customer to use the transponded capacity, including: limited engineering (for example, development of link budgets, transmission plans); basic customer training (for example, acquiring satellite signal, peak and polarization); core management and control of the transponded capacity; and required approvals (for example, frequency clearances, landing rights). Host Nation Agreements will be priced separately when required. COMSATCOM Transponded Capacity requirements range from small fractions of a single transponder within a single coverage area to multiple transponders on multiple satellites with worldwide coverage for short durations measured in hours or days to long durations measured in years. Equipment is available for purchase under SIN 132-8 or 1329 or for lease under SIN 132-3 or short-term rental under 132-4. Contractors • AIS Engineering • Americom Government Services • ARTEL • Astrium Services Government • Boeing • Bushtex • CapRock Government Solutions • DRS Technical Services
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Eutelsat America Globecomm Systems Hughes Network Systems Intelsat General Knight Sky Consulting and Associates MTN Government Services Production and Satellite Services Ritenet SATCOM Global Segovia Spacenet TeleCommunication Systems Trustcomm UltiSat XTAR
Subscription Services COMSATCOM Subscription Services— Subject to Cooperative Purchasing (SIN 132 55) Includes COMSATCOM Subscription Services consisting of pre-existing, pre-engineered fixed satellite service and/or mobile satellite service solutions, typically including shared or dedicated satellite resources, ancillary terrestrial components, and contractor specified networks and equipment, in any available COMSATCOM frequency band, including, but not limited to, L-, S-, C-, X-, Ku-, extended Ku, Ka-, and UHF. Subscription Services utilize contractor-determined waveforms and are billed on a per-use basis (for example, dollars per minute, dollars per megabyte, dollars per month). Subscription service rates include the network management, monitoring, engineering, integration, and operations required to deliver the services. Equipment may be included as part of the Subscription Services. Subscription Services also include leasing dedicated channels using the service provider’s waveform and technology, with guaranteed capacity and
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Special Report: Guide to Key Quality of Service. Subscription Services also includes on demand/occasional use solutions. The COMSATCOM Subscription Services offered include but are not limited to: satellitebased Internet, voice, data, and video services; emergency response/disaster recovery voice and data networks; worldwide digital transmission to connect mobile terminals to terrestrial networks; connectivity to the Internet via satellite, whereby satellite communications service is delivered through portable satellite IP modems; and other pre-existing, pre-engineered fixed satellite services, mobile satellite services, or hybrid fixed satellite services /mobile satellite services solutions. Equipment is available for purchase under SIN 132-8 or 132-9 or for lease under SIN 132-3 or short term rental under 132-4. Contractors • 3DI Technologies • ADCI of Delaware • AIS Engineering • Americom Government Services • ARTEL • Astrium Services Government • Boeing • CapRock Government Solutions • DRS Technical Services • General Dynamics C4 Systems • Globecomm Systems • GMPCS Personal Communications • Hughes Network Systems • Intelsat General • Knight Sky Consulting and Associates • MTN Government Services • MVS USA • Northrop Grumman Systems • Production and Satellite Services • Ritenet • SATCOM Direct Communications • SATCOM Global • Segovia • Skycasters • Spacenet • TeleCommunication Systems • Trustcomm • UltiSat • ViaSat
CUSTOM END-TO-END SOLUTIONS Custom SATCOM Solutions (CS2) Custom SATCOM Solutions allows federal agencies to build large, complex,
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Contracts
custom end-to-end satellite solutions. Solutions include satellite transport (bandwidth), fixed or mobile satellite service, and service-enabling components such as terminals, handsets, and tail circuits with engineering services to integrate, operate, and maintain the solution. Examples include emergency response and disaster recovery communications systems; satellitebased backup communications network; distributed distance learning network; and communications on the move solutions for DoD applications. Type of contract: Multiple award, indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity Period of performance: Three-year base, two one-year options Ceiling: $2.6 billion Type of task order: Fixed price Security included in the contract: CS2 adheres to federal information assurance requirements, including the Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002 and the Committee on National Security Systems Policy 12. Best suited for large, complex requirements: CS2 is more applicable to large-scale or complex end-to-end solutions involving these parameters: • Coverage: Solutions can be delivered to coverage areas involving multiple satellites and associated ground stations and terrestrial infrastructure. • User and network size: Solutions can be comprised of hundreds, for example, 500 or more, of end-user locations or points of presence. • Capacity: Solutions can require multiple Transponder Equivalent (TPE) of bandwidth or large (for example, 100 Mbps or more) committed information rate over the satellite links. • Terminal types: Solutions can require terminal populations consisting of multiple variants of fixed land, mobile land, and airborne terminals. Worldwide coverage: You can use CS2 anywhere in the world.
• • • •
Industry Partners • Americom Government Services • ARTEL • Astrium Services Government (f/k/a Vizada) • DRS Technical Services
Industry Partners • AIS Engineering • By Light, Professional IT Services • Knight Sky Consulting and Associates • UltiSat
Hughes Network Systems Intelsat General Segovia (d/b/a Inmarsat) TeleCommunication Systems
Custom SATCOM Solutions-Small Business (CS2-SB) Custom SATCOM Solutions-Small Business (CS2-SB) allows federal agencies to acquire professional satellite engineering services and build custom end-to-end satellite solutions with small business industry partners. Solutions include satellite transport (bandwidth), fixed or mobile satellite service, and service-enabling components such as terminals, handsets, and tail circuits with engineering services to integrate, operate, and maintain the solution. Examples include emergency response and disaster recovery communications systems; satellite-based backup communications network; distributed distance learning network; and communications on the move solutions for DoD applications. Type of contract: Multiple award, indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity Period of performance: Three-year base, two one-year options Ceiling: $900 million Type of task order: Fixed price Security included in the contract: CS2SB adheres to federal information assurance requirements, including the Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002 and the Committee on National Security Systems Policy. Best suited for small, less complex requirements and satellite professional support services: CS2-SB industry partners can fulfill smaller, less complex endto-end satellite solutions needs. In addition, they can compete for task orders that solely consist of satellite professional support services, such as strategic or preliminary planning; enterprise architecture design; system engineering; and information assurance certification and accreditation. Worldwide coverage: You can use CS2SB anywhere in the world.
MIT 17.6 | 23
Special Report: Guide to Key
Contracts
ENCORE II Awarded: 2008 Ceiling: $12.225 billion Contract Category: IT services Authorized Users: DoD and other federal agencies Points of Contact: Contract Specialist: 618-229-9248, DSN 779-9248 Contract Specialist: 618-229-9323, DSN 779-9323 Contracting Officer: 618-229-9475, DSN 779-9475 Contracting Officer Representative: 618-229-9323, DSN 779-9323 Ordering Limitations: DoD, federal agencies, and other authorized by DoD Financial Accept Office: DITCO-Scott Contract Evaluation: DISA past performance Economy Act: All outside agencies certify
Average Process Time: 121 days: Multiple award contract or BPA order—services 274 days: RFP full and open competition or limited competition Contract Offices: PL8313 Term/Duration: Period
Start
End
Base
June 1, 2008
May 31, 2013
Base
June 1, 2008
May 31, 2014
Base
April 24, 2008
May 31, 2013
Option
June 1, 2013
May 31, 2014
Option
June 1, 2014
May 31, 2015
Option
June 1, 2015
May 31, 2016
Option
June 1, 2016
May 31, 2017
Option
June 1, 2017
May 31, 2018
Contractors: • 3H Technology Federal • American Systems • Analytical Services
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
BAE Systems Information Technology Booz Allen Hamilton CACI Federal Computer Sciences Corp.- Defense Data Systems Analysts Femme Comp General Dynamics One Source Harris IT Services HP Enterprise Services IBM Jacobs Technology L-3 National Security Solutions Lockheed Martin Integrated Systems MANTECH Enterprise Management Northrop Grumman Systems Oberon Associates Pragmatics Raytheon Salient Federal Solutions Science Applications International Corp. Solers Systems Research Applications Unisys
Distributed Tactical Communications System (DTCS) Global Logistical Services Management (DLOG) Awarded: 2012 Contract Award: $47 million Contract Category: Other services Authorized Users: DoD and other federal agencies Points of Contact: Contract Specialist: 301-225-4133, DSN 4133 Ordering Limitations: DoD, federal agencies and others authorized by DoD
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Term/Duration: Period
Start
End
Base
Feb. 17, 2012
Feb. 16, 2014
Option
Feb. 17, 2013
Feb. 16, 2014
Option
Feb. 17, 2014
Feb. 16, 2015
Option
Feb. 17, 2015
Feb. 16, 2016
Option
Feb. 17, 2016
Feb. 16, 2017
Financial Accept Office: DITCO-Scott Contract Evaluation: DISA past performance Economy Act: All outside agencies certify Contractor: Trace Systems Average Process Time: 17 days: Single award contract or BPS order pre-priced items Contract Office: PL64
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Special Report: Guide to Key
Contracts
Global Information Grid (GIG) Services Management-Engineering/Transition/Implementation (GSM-ETI) Awarded: 2012 Ceiling: $1.42 billion Contract Category: IT services Authorized Users: DoD and other federal agencies Points of Contact: Contracting Specialist: 618-229-9346, DSN 779-9346 Contracting Officer: 618-229-9346, DSN 779-9346 Ordering Limitations: DoD, federal agencies, and others authorized by DoD Minimum Order Amount: $500 Maximum Order Amount: $150 million
Term/Duration: Period
Start
End
Base
Dec. 21, 2012
Dec. 31, 2014
Option
Jan. 1, 2015
Dec. 31, 2016
Option
Jan. 1, 2017
Dec. 31, 2017
Financial Accept Office: DITCO-Scott Contract Evaluation: DISA past performance Economy Act: All outside agencies certify Average Process Time: 121 days: Multiple award contract or BPA order—services
274 days: RFP full and open competition or limited competition Contract Offices: PL8312 Contractors: • By Light Professional IT Services • Cambridge Communication Systems • Digital Management • IPKeys Technologies • NES Associates • Onyx-Technica Joint Venture • TurningPoint-EMW Joint Venture
DISA Component Acquisition Executive II Awarded: 2008 Ceiling: $42 million Contract Category: Other services Authorized Users: DoD and other federal agencies Points of Contact: Contract Specialist: 618-229-9257, DSN 779-9257 Contracting Officer: 618-229-9458, DSN 779-9458 Contracting Officer: 618-229-9672, DSN 779-9672 Ordering Limitations: DoD, federal agencies and others authorized by DoD
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Term/Duration: Period
Start
End
Base
Dec. 23, 2008
May 15, 2012
Base
Dec. 23, 2008
May 15, 2013
Option
May 16, 2010
May 15, 2011
Option
May 16, 2011
May 15, 2012
Option
May 16, 2012
May 15, 2013
Option
May 16, 2013
May 15, 2014
Option
May 16, 2013
May 15, 2014
Financial Accept Office: DITCO-Scott Contract Evaluation: DISA past performance Economy Act: All outside agencies certify Average Process Time: 274 days: RFP full and open competition or limited competition Contract Offices: PL8313 Contractors: • Acquisition Solutions • Kepler Research • MCR Federal
MIT 17.6 | 25
COTSACOPIA Commercial Off-the-Shelf Technology Cross Domain Alliance Offers Unified Network Visibility
Compiled by KMI Media Group staff
Bridge System Extends Airborne Tactical Data Communications
BlueSpace Federal, a provider of multi-level secure (MLS) applications and pioneer of the MLS 2.0 approach, and SolarWinds have announced a partnership to enable SolarWinds software solutions to operate across security domains by making use of BlueSpace MLS 2.0 technology. BlueSpace will offer a new version of their product Sentinel that works with SolarWinds Enterprise Operations Console (EOC) to enable cross-domain capabilities. The combined solution enables a single display, high side view from the EOC to provide unified visibility in a consolidated network operations center that allows users to monitor multiple networks at different classification levels. The resulting capability increases cyber situational awareness and improves decision making and response times. The SolarWinds EOC resides on the high side network and communicates with other SolarWinds products on lower networks via Sentinel.
Sabtech has announced the ability to transparently extend airborne tactical data systems (ATDS) serial data communications over a network with its new PowerNet ATDS Bridge System. ATDS is used in equipment that supports Tactical Digital Information Link-A or its NATO designation, Link-11. The PowerNet Bridge provides a transparent hardware and protocol conversion that allows data terminal set, tactical data system and cryptographic equipment to communicate over a network without modification to either end. Moving the ATDS link to a network architecture eliminates cable length limitations and allows for implementation of redundant paths through the network fabric, greatly improving the survivability of the interface. The PowerNet Bridge System consists of two PowerNet servers, one connected to the legacy ATDS device at each end of the interface. The servers connect together over a dedicated or shared Ethernet network. In operation, the servers convert the ATDS channel protocol into Ethernet packets that are transmitted and converted back to ATDS at the distant end.
Malware Guard Offers Detection, Analysis and Prevention
Mutualink, which specializes in interoperable communications solutions for public safety, emergency management and defense agencies, has announced the deployment of the Global Secure Emergency Collaboration Network (GSEC Net) for multinational events and emergencies. GSEC Net is a new, always on, secure global interoperable communications platform that enables nations and their agencies to seamlessly communicate and collaborate with other nations as and when needed in response to events wherever they occur. Mutualink’s GSEC Net is an innovative platform that enables national partners and their agencies to seamlessly bridge communications and share real-time multimedia information on a global scale. GSEC Net is an always-on, always-available platform that can be leveraged for planned activities, as well as for managing unexpected crises requiring international coordination.
General Dynamics Fidelis Cybersecurity Solutions has introduced Fidelis XPS Vector, a new product in the Fidelis XPS portfolio that provides comprehensive detection, analysis and prevention against inbound malware and associated command and control traffic. Fidelis XPS Vector protects customers against both common and targeted malware and exploits used by adversaries to penetrate networks. Fidelis XPS Vector can analyze hundreds of inbound objects per second and can block sessions containing malware. It identifies and extracts malicious content hiding in e-mails, instant messages, Microsoft Office files, PDFs and various other formats that are sent through applications such as social networks, webmail and over all Internet protocols including HTTP, SMTP and FTP. Once the malware is detected or blocked, security practitioners are instantly alerted with a detailed analysis report that includes information about the source of the malware, the decoding path, details about the protocol, encoding and compressions and execution forensic details.
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Emergency Network Links Nations During Major Events
Control Station Improves Situational Awareness
Raytheon has started delivering a new release of software, Post Deployment Build-7 (PDB-7), to its worldwide Patriot customer base. The PDB-7 software gives soldiers stateof-the-art capabilities by leveraging the latest
Patriot Configuration-3 hardware modernization improvements in the radar and battle management command, control, communication, computers and intelligence areas. Technical improvements include major enhancements that allow soldiers in the field to defend against current threats and easily adapt and respond to changing threat environments. One key enhancement is the new Modern Man Station, with color LCD displays, touch screens and soft keys, which improves situational awareness and decision-making during tactical operations. The enhanced view gives soldiers in the field the ability to quickly differentiate between threats and non-threats, and see threats sooner and further out. www.MIT-kmi.com
The advertisers index is provided as a service to our readers. KMI cannot be held responsible for discrepancies due to last-minute changes or alterations.
MIT RESOURCE CENTER Advertisers Index CompTia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 www.comptiastore.com/casp/mit Cornet Technology Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 www.cornet.com/ipgate-whitepaper Trace Systems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 www.tracesystems.com University of Maryland University College. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C4 http://military.umuc.edu/cuttingedge USGIF. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 www.geoint2013.com
Calendar September 10-12, 2013 TechNet Augusta Augusta, Ga. www.afcea.org
November 18-20, 2013 MILCOM San Diego, Calif. www.milcom.org
October 21-23, 2013 AUSA Annual Meeting Washington, D.C. www.ausa.org
December 3-5, 2013 TechNet Asia-Pacific Honolulu, Hawaii www.afcea.org
October 29, 2013 SAP NS2 Solutions Summit Falls Church, Va. www.sapns2.com
February 11-13, 2014 AFCEA West San Diego, Calif. www.afcea.org
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INDUSTRY INTERVIEW Military Information Technology Terry Erdle Executive Vice President, Skills Certification CompTIA As executive vice president, skills certification, for CompTIA, Terry Erdle is responsible for the association’s global certifications programs, including product development and delivery, partnership relationships and cooperation with the education and training communities. Q: What types of products and services are you offering to military and other government customers? A: CompTIA is the world’s largest provider of skills certifications for IT professionals. We’ve awarded more than 1.7 million certifications worldwide to technology workers in the military, government and private sector. Our certifications are the recognized industry standards for a broad range of technology skills, including IT fundamentals, networking and security. Q: What unique benefits does your company provide its customers in comparison with other companies in your field? A: The vendor-neutral nature of CompTIA certifications is a clear differentiator. Our certifications measure foundational skills and demonstrate to employers that you have the skills to do the job, regardless of the manufacturer of the hardware or software product. CompTIA certifications are trusted because they are a proven and accurate predictor of employee success. When developing an exam, we engage focus groups and recruit subject matter experts from around the world to define programs and write, review and participate in beta exams. All of our certifications are built with the knowledge of experts and industry leaders from the public and private sectors, including training, academia and the government. Q: What are some of the most significant programs your company is currently working on with the military? A: CompTIA has a long-standing relationship with the Department of Defense, the 28 | MIT 17.6
armed forces and military veterans. We’ve been actively engaged in the DoD Information Assurance Workforce Improvement Program. This program provides guidance and procedures for the training, certification and management of the DoD workforce conducting information assurance functions in assigned duty positions. Four certifications—CompTIA A+, Network+, Security+ and Advanced Security Practitioner—are included in the DoD 8570.01-M program. We’re also active in the White House’s IT Training and Certification Program. This initiative will enable thousands of servicemembers to receive training and earn industry-recognized IT certifications before they transition from military service to civilian life. Our Troops to Tech Careers program connects military veterans and their families with IT training, certification and employment opportunities. More than 12,000 veterans have earned more 15,500 CompTIA certifications since the program was introduced less than two years ago. Finally, our charitable arm, the Creating IT Futures Foundation, has provided assistance to the Wounded Warriors Project. In fact, the foundation and the CompTIA U.S. IT Services and Support Community recently donated $5,000 to the Wounded Warrior Project’s Training Transition Academy. Q: Are you currently developing new products and services relevant to military and government customers that you hope to bring to the market in the future?
A: We will introduce three new advanced certifications into the marketplace later this year. All three have great relevance to the government market. CompTIA Cloud+ is a new high stakes certification for technical professionals working in data centers, network operations center and other environments utilizing cloud computing and virtualization. Within the federal government, more than 300 agencies and departments are currently utilizing cloud computing solutions. This new certification will validate a candidate’s knowledge and skills in understanding standard cloud terminologies and methodologies; implementing, maintaining and delivering cloud technologies and infrastructures; and understanding aspects of IT security and use of industry best practices related to cloud implementation and the application of virtualization. The other new certifications cover another fast-growing area—mobile technologies. Mobile apps are proliferating rapidly and trend bring-your-own device in both the public and private sectors shows no signs of abating. Unfortunately, mobile technology skills among the IT workforce have not kept pace. Two new CompTIA certifications aim to address the mobile skills gap challenge. CompTIA and viaForensics, a provider of computer forensic and electronic discovery services, have developed the CompTIA Mobile App Security+ certification. The intent is to ensure that developers have the knowledge and skills to design and build applications with security built in from the start. Also due to be released this year is CompTIA Mobility+, a certification that covers mobile device management, troubleshooting, security, network infrastructure and related areas. IT professionals who earn this credential will have demonstrated their ability to deploy, integrate, support and manage a mobile environment while ensuring proper security measures are maintained for devices and platforms to mitigate risks and threats. O www.MIT-kmi.com
Next Issue
September 2013 Volume 17, Issue 7
The Voice of Military Communications and Computing
Cover and In-Depth Interview with
Terry Halvorsen CIO Department of the Navy
Features Ramping Up Cloud Security
Standards are important, but cloud security assurance also depends on the relationship between cloud provider and DoD customer.
Collaboration Acceleration
Cyber-Accountability
The government should require that contractors establish effective cybersecurity programs, and penalize those that do not, argues a senior national intelligence service executive.
As use of the Defense Connect Online tool skyrockets, a wide range of other technologies are also offering new ways to help users cooperate.
Infrastructure Modernization
VSAT Success
Special Report
An Army program that uses Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) technology to transmit combatsupport information to soldiers in the field has been certified for full operational capability.
Gigabit passive optical network technology is playing a major role in the Army’s modernization of its information infrastructure.
DISA Forecast to Industry
Insertion Order Deadline: August 30, 2013 • Ad Materials Deadline: August 23, 2013
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