By Vicky Falcón
NAVAIR Public Affairs

NOTE: REGISTRATION DEADLINE EXTENDED

The world keeps getting smaller and smaller.

As networked communications bring people together, though, it has also brought about a growing problem.

That concern is the topic of a June 19 information exchange sponsored by NAVAIR’s Information Assurance Program Office. The NAVAIR Cross Domain Solutions Day will tackle the growing issue of Multi-Level Security (MLS) – controlling information flow from one information domain to another information domain (e.g. Unclassified to Secret or Secret to Unclassified).

The morning program will be held on Thursday, June 19, at Naval Air Station Patuxent River’s base theatre, from 7:45 –11:30 a.m. Industry vendors and a government development program will provide information about products that address Cross Domain problems. Department of Defense and Department of Navy briefings will also provide information about their Cross Domain solutions programs.

If you are part of a program that maintains information at differing classification levels, this session is for you. The rapid growth of networked systems and increased operational capability has brought about a necessity for increased security.

According to Rodney Stalker, certification and accreditation IPT manager within NAVAIR’s Information Assurance Program Office and coordinator of the Cross Domain Solutions Information Exchange, Operation Iraqi Freedom exhibited a recent example of Cross Domain concerns.

“U.S. forces had a need to “talk” electronically to their counterparts in the U.K.,” said Stalker. “We couldn’t just connect to the U.K. network due to confidentiality issues. The solution was to use a COTS (commercial of the shelf) application and develop a new application (to act as a filter) to run on top of the COTS product.”

According to Stalker, this Defense Infrastructure Mailguarding Solution permits the exchange of Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) between classifications – and permitted the exchange of classified information with a coalition partner.

“There is no easy way to exchange this kind of information, though,” said Stalker. “Different data types (e-mails or files) require different solutions – which require different configurations. Office information has distinctly varied requirements from, say, a tactical division.”

Hence the need for more awareness of Cross Domain issues. And so the planned Cross Domain Solutions Information Exchange.

“There are a lot of people who just don’t understand the problem,” Stalker said. “And a lot more who don’t understand the DOD approval process for resolving that problem. We’re here to help them.”

Registration for the session must be completed online at https://air74.navair.navy.mil by close of business on Friday, June 6. For more information contact Stalker at 301-757-2986 or by e-mail at [email protected].

An afternoon session (by invitation only) will focus on specific program requirements for Cross Domain solutions that are available today. This exchange of information should facilitate the application of solutions to individual program requirements. To attend the afternoon session, contact Stalker via phone or e-mail.