Case Studies

Defense Information Systems Network - Operations & Implementation Perspective

ISSUE

Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) needed to guarantee access to bandwidth for mission critical communications between the home base and the Warfighter. All voice, data, and video for the Department of Defense (DoD) is carried on the Defense Information Systems Network (DISN) making it one of the most critical networks in the United States.

SOLUTIONS

Defense Information Systems Network (DISN) Continental United States

• Managed 2 types of networks to connect 40 Bandwidth Manager and Switch sites.
- Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM)
- Synchronous Optical NETwork (SONET)

• Sensitive But Unclassified (SBU), carrying classified information across virtual networks

DSA provided DISN:
• End-to-end network security engineering, design & implementation
- Included routers, Secure Domain Units (SDUs), firewalls, token-based ID/Password solution, and monitoring capabilities

• Security Awareness training

• All phases of security testing

• Full security responsibility for life-cycle support of DISN including:
- Ongoing Certification & Accreditation assistance

• Procedures required periodic security surveys of 40 sites and 2 Network Operation Centers (NOCs)

• Risk analysis process maintains a high level of security

• DoD approved security plan
- 24/7 security monitoring & incident reporting

• Network security engineers/analysts manage and operate 50 SDUs

• SDUs employed Public Key technology to encrypt all information transmitted throughout the management network
- Network access control

• Implemented token-based ID/Password solution

• Physical & personnel security
- Managed the Primary NOC Sign In Log
- Verified that persons entering the Primary NOC were cleared or escorted
- Performed periodic inspections of the secure area for possible infractions
- Made recommendations to improve the security of sites and facilities
- Performed Risk Analysis Inspections of the DISN sites

RESULTS

DSA ensured seamless connections between home bases and the Warfighter.

• 250+ registered users can monitor and/or manage DS/BMS-C operations via 170+ secure connections supervised by DSA.

• Over 1 million users across the DoD, Services, and Federal agencies

• No network effecting security incidents have occurred since operational phase initiation

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