Pentagon Reviews Unisys Stealth

Shares of data can be split physically and under the control of different personnel

Sep. 1, 2009 06:45 AM

The United States Joint Forces Command (USJFC) is currently evaluating Unisys Stealth technology at the Joint Transformation Command for Intelligence (JTC-I) in Suffolk, Virginia.

"Unisys Stealth Solution for Network lets an organization set up “communities of interest” through a group policy using Microsoft Active Directory, with session-specific encryption keys scrambling data that can only be decrypted by those belonging to each group. Stealth works to “bit-split” data into multiple packets and re-assemble it to authorized users, which alone can decrypt it."

A Unisys press release further states that USJFCOM will be testing "cryptographic bit-splitting" as a way to converge DoD Global Information Grid networks operating at different security levels into a single network infrastructure.

"This technology can address a longstanding challenge for the Department of Defense and other government agencies: how to simplify their networks without sacrificing security, while delivering significant cost savings," said Jim Geiger, managing partner, Department of Defense, Unisys Federal Systems. "Unisys will draw upon its extensive experience with the Unisys Stealth Solution for Networks to support the Joint Forces Command and the Joint Transformation Command for Intelligence in this pioneering effort to promote secure data and information sharing among various communities within the DoD. This solution is now the double-encryption security mechanism protecting the Unisys Secure Cloud solution."

December 2008 post I described cryptographic bit splitting as a new approach for securing information. Its advantages include: Enhanced security from moving shares of the data to different locations on one or more data depositories or storage devices (different logical, physical or geographical locations

Shares of data can be split physically and under the control of different personnel reducing the possibility of compromising the data.

A rigorous combination of the steps is used to secure data providing a comprehensive process of maintaining security of sensitive data.

Lack of a single physical location towards which to focus an attack

My company, Dataline LLC, is also leveraging this technology during the Trident Warrior '10 fall lab experimentation period. As I posted in US Navy Experiment With Secure Cloud Computing, the Secure Cloud Computing experiment has been designed to explore the use of a commercial Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) platform as a viable means of supporting a specified subset of US Navy mission requirements for global connectivity, server failover and application access. Goals for the experiment include:

Demonstrating the establishment and use of trusted communication paths on a global public computing infrastructure; and
Demonstrating dynamic, mission driven, provisioning of information via trusted communication paths on a global public computing infrastructure

>I'll keep you posted on the outcome of both DoD activities.

( Thank you. If you enjoyed this article, get free updates by email or RSS - KLJ )

Read the original blog entry...

About Kevin Jackson
Kevin Jackson is currently an Engineering Fellow with NJVC, one of the largest information technology solutions providers supporting the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). Prior to this position, he served in various senior management positions including VP, Dataline LLC, Director Federal for Sirius Computer Solutions and Worldwide Sales Executive for IBM. His formal education includes MSEE (Computer Engineering), MA National Security & Strategic Studies and a BS Aerospace Engineering. Jackson graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1979 and retired from the US Navy earning specialties in Space Systems Engineering, Airborne Logistics and Airborne Command and Control. He also served with the National Reconnaissance Office, Operational Support Office, providing tactical support to Navy and Marine Corps forces worldwide. Kevin is the founder and author of “Cloud Musings”, a widely followed blog that focuses on the use of cloud computing by the Federal government. He is also the editor and founder of “Government Cloud Computing” electronic magazine, published at Ulitzer.com. google-site-verification: google25c59f8091bf6ea5.html