Communications Security (COMSEC) Equipment

Abstract

Information Assurance Development supports the implementation of the National Security Agency (NSA) developed Communications Security (COMSEC) technologies within the Army by providing COMSEC system capabilities through encryption, trusted software or standard operating procedures, and integrating these mechanisms into specific systems in support of securing the Army Tactical and Enterprise Networks. This entails architecture studies, system integration and testing, developing installation kits, and certification and accreditation of Automation Information Systems. The program assesses, develops and integrates Cyber Security (CS)/COMSEC tools (hardware and software) which provide protection for fixed infrastructure post, camp and station networks as well as tactical networks. The cited work is consistent with Strategic Planning Guidance and the Army Modernization and Strategy Plan. Information Assurance Development funding implements and establishes functional and technical boundaries of cryptographic, key management and Information Assurance (IA) capabilities in coordination with the NSA, the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), and Joint Services, to secure National Security Systems (NSS), and National Security Information (NSI). Technical evaluations assess the security, operational effectiveness and network interoperability of advanced concept technologies to develop policies, standards, and fundamental building blocks for Army COMSEC capabilities that reduce the risk of future material solutions that could underperform and disrupt classified operations. Develop and publish the COMSEC Implementation Planning Guidance to identify, standardize, and govern the insertion of CS capabilities to bridge operational gaps and support the Department of Defense (DoD) and NSA mandated requirements to enhance network capacity while providing for secure information exchange of voice, video, and data in accordance with the Army Network Campaign Plan. This will be accomplished by interoperability evaluation, standards testing, and CS, System of System Network Vulnerability Assessments (SoS NVA) for Army Capability Sets for CS/COMSEC capabilities that provide protections for tactical and fixed infrastructure post, camp, and station networks. The Defensive Cyberspace Operations (DCO) program provides initial capabilities that enable passive and active cyberspace defense operations to preserve friendly cyberspace capabilities and protect data, networks, net-centric capabilities, and other designated systems. Big Data Pilot provides an advanced analytics capability capable of ingesting structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data from multiple data sources (e.g., Joint Regional Security Stacks (JRSS), intrusion detection systems, intrusion prevention systems, network device log files, trouble tickets, firewalls, proxies, web and applications server log files, etc) and proves situational awareness of cyberspace battlefield. It provides the computer network defense provider with common analytic platform which informs and reduces risk associated with future material solutions and forms a blueprint for future Big Data Analytics. Big Data (analysis-of-all DoD Information Network sensor data) provides two optimized and accredited clusters deployed in support of JRSS and Defense Research and Engineering Network (DREN) with a tools suite accessible to Cyber Mission Forces via secure remote access. The Army's DCO activities are a construct of active cyberspace defenses which provide synchronized, real-time capability to discover, detect, analyze, and mitigate threats to and vulnerability of DoD networks and systems. The Army Key Management Infrastructure (AKMI) is the Army's implementation of the NSA KMI ACAT IAM program, automating the functions of COMSEC electronic key management, control, planning, and distribution. AKMI supports the Army's ability to communicate and distribute Cryptographic data on the Army's tactical and strategic networks by limiting adversarial access to, and reducing the vulnerability of, Army Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence (C4I) systems. The AKMI System of Systems (SoS) systems components are the Management Client (MGC), Automated Communications Engineering Software (ACES) and Next Generation Load Device Family of fill devices. The NSA Key Management Infrastructure (KMI) Program replaced NSA EKMS program. AKMI has replaced Army Key Management System. The transition from AKMS to AKMI started in FY12. The AKMS System of Systems (SoS) systems components are the Local COMSEC Management Software (LCMS), Automated Communications Engineering Software (ACES) and Simple Key Loader (SKL). The Army COMSEC program supports using NSA developed COMSEC technologies within the Army providing encryption, trusted software, or standard operating procedures, and integrating these mechanisms into specified systems in support of securing the Army network (which is made up of tactical and enterprise networks). This entails architecture studies, system integration and testing, developing installation kits, and certification and accreditation of Automation Information Systems. The program assesses, develops and integrates emerging COMSEC tools (hardware and software) which provide protection for fixed infrastructure post, camp, and station networks as well as tactical networks. The cited work is consistent with Strategic Planning Guidance and the Army Modernization and Strategy Plan. Embedded Cryptographic Modernization Initiative (ECMI) is an upgrade activity that will ensure Army radios remain secure by operating with modern cryptographic algorithms. Tactical radios using legacy embedded cryptographic systems will no longer be able to communicate securely after cease key dates documented in the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Staff instruction (CJCSI) 6510. In order to ensure Warfighters continue to have secured communications (i.e., encrypted data and voice), Army tactical radios are required to support modern cryptographic capabilities by implementing modern algorithms. If cease key dates are not met, the Army will be forced to communicate at risk. User activity monitoring (UAM) automation/analytics will provide technical capability to enhance Army UAM analysis effectiveness and efficiency. The UAM mission is to observe and record the actions and activities of an individual, at any time, on any device accessing Army information on classified networks in order to detect insider threats and to support authorized investigations. Army UAM is a component of the Army Insider Threat (InT) Program. Army's InT Program and UAM are conducted in accordance with the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012, section 922., Insider Threat Detection; Presidential Memorandum, National Insider Threat Policy and Minimum Standards for Executive Branch Insider Threat Programs, dated 21 November 2012; Executive Order 13587, Structural Reforms to Improve the Security of Classified Networks and the Responsible Sharing and Safeguarding of Classified Information, (Reference b) dated 7 October 2011, and Army Directive 2013-18 (Army Insider Threat Program), 31 July 2013. Innovative enhancements are required to improve UAM analysis productivity, data visualization, and workflow management. The analysis productivity objective is to develop and implement user behavior models that use UAM and other network data to identify anomalous user behavior over time, and to integrated new data sources into the UAM analytical data store and processing system. Data visualization advances will present UAM analysts behavior model processing results in an intuitive format that reduce the time required to review the results. Workflow management improvements will add new capabilities to the UAM workflow management system with the objective of enhancing analysis reporting productivity and metrics collection.

Document Details

• Document Type: R2 Budgetary Justification
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2019
• Source ID: 0303140A_7_2040_PB_2019
• Change Summary Explanation: FY 2017 decrease of $1.388 million for FFRDC and SBIR/STTR adjustments. FY 2019 decrease of $21.475 million based on requirement adjustments.
• Service Agency Name: Army

Entities

Organizations

• United States Army

Tags

Communities of Interest

• Cyber

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

• Big Data
• Computer Networks
• Contracts
• Cost Analysis
• Cyberspace Operations
• Data Analysis
• Data Visualization
• Department Of Defense
• Information Assurance
• Information Systems
• Insider Threats
• Intrusion Detection
• Intrusion Detectors
• National Security
• Software Development
• Standards
• Test And Evaluation

Fields of Study

• Computer science

Readers

• Cybersecurity.
• Enterprise Information Systems Architecture and Joint Command Capability Interoperability Support.

Technology Areas

• Cyber
• Fully Networked C3
• Fully Networked C3 - Command and Control
• Microelectronics