Page 38 - GCN, Jun/July 2016

Sponsored Report
DEFENSE ACQUISITIONS
How ITES-3H Enhances Cybersecurity
Consolidating the acquisition of security technology will help enhance the overall agency security posture.
Cybersecurity is becoming the top priority at most government agencies.
The Army is no different. With cyberthreats steadily growing more sophisticated, the technology solutions deployed to counteract them are likewise becoming more complex. ITES-3H is set to be
a major source of cybersecurity technology for the Army.
From a security standpoint,
the enterprise is a complex environment, says John Meier, Iron Bow’s general manager for DOD East & Intel sales team. “You’ve
got the perimeter to defend, which requires all kinds of firewall types of activity,” he says. “Then you’ve got threat intrusion protection, defense against insider threats, digital loss prevention and protection for data that leaves the organization.”
There are all types of software
that need to run end-to-end within the IT infrastructure to provide for cybersecurity, he says. That provides a huge opportunity for companies like Iron Bow to help the Army.
Defensively, the need for security goes deep. The Army’s Warfighter Information Network-Tactical Increment 2 (WIN-T), for example, is an important mobile communication system meant to provide protected voice, video and data services
for warfighters in the field. WIN-T deployment started in 2015.
There have been complaints
Other ITES-3 Contract Articles Include:
• The Evolution of ITES
• ITES-3H: More than Just Hardware • The Future of ITES-3H
• ITES-3H Today: The Details
Go to GCN.COM/2016ITES3
about its effective security since the beginning, however. An outside review by Johns Hopkins University and the Army Research Laboratory called for both hardware and software improvements. The Defense Department’s Operational Test & Evaluation warned WIN-T’s vulnerabilities opened the whole Army infrastructure to threats, since WIN-T is connected to the military’s other mission command systems.
Cybersecurity isn’t just about defense, however. The Army
is also looking to put so-called “cyberwarriors” into the field
where they can hack into opposing forces’ systems to steal information and also insert malware “bombs” to try and render those enemy systems ineffective.
The government as a whole
is becoming more aware of the need for a cybersecurity element embedded in their IT procurement. For example, most bids now
have some kind of clause or questionnaire asking vendors
about the security aspects of the products they’re selling.
Most of the solution-based RFPs to which Iron Bow responds now require the vendor ensure the products offered are on an approved products list, says Meier. This means the company must ensure they can pass whatever tests are required. It’s becoming “more and more a natural part of what we have to do,” he says.
Both vendors and government agencies must understand the security aspects of any solution under consideration. That doesn’t refer only to security products and solutions themselves, but also to the network overall. That includes all network devices, all end-user devices, and all IT that stores and transmits data and that must be defended.
“The good news is that all of those products and solutions are typically bought at the enterprise level today,” says Meier. “ITES-3H is the perfect contract for that.” •