The View From NCS Technologies

NCS Is a Government Security Leader With SecureView Hardware Portfolio

Proven security strategies include protecting databases and servers, locking down endpoints (like laptops and notebooks), and educating employees about everyday social engineering threats (clicking on destructive malware on a website or answering a malicious email).

In the area of government network communications, IT administrators must accommodate potential access to various levels of secure networks, depending on the message and the need. This is known as multi-level computing.

NCS Offers Choices With SecureView & Zero Client Portfolio

Strategies to thwart security threats include protecting databases and servers, locking down endpoints (like laptops and notebooks), and educating employees about everyday social engineering threats (clicking on destructive malware on a website or answering a malicious email).

Focusing on government network communications, IT administrators must accommodate potential access to various levels of secure networks, depending on the message and the need. This is known as multi-level computing.

NCS Offers Choices With SecureView & Zero Client Portfolio

For government employees, processes to thwart security threats include strategies to protect databases and servers in data centers, locking down endpoints (like laptops and notebooks), and educating employees about everyday social engineering threats (clicking on destructive malware on a website or answering a malicious email).

Looking at every day network communications, IT administrators must accommodate potential access to various levels of secure networks, depending on the message and the need. This is known as multi-level computing.

The Preferred Way to Protect Government Data

State sponsored cyber attacks on American networks and endpoints is both in the news and a daily fact of life. For government employees, processes to thwart security threats include strategies to protect databases and servers in data centers, locking down endpoints (like laptops and notebooks), and educating employees about everyday social engineering threats (clicking on destructive malware on a website or answering a malicious email).

Security officials give special attention to securing everyday network communications. To keep daily work communications private and secure, government workers access various levels of secure networks. Depending on need, workers may access different levels of communications security each day. This is referred to as multi-level computing.

The Preferred Way to Protect Government Data

It previous blogs concerning government security challenges, we have noted how the issue is extremely complex. Planning for security threats includes protecting databases and servers in data centers, locking down endpoints (like laptops and notebooks), and educating employees about everyday social engineering threats (clicking on destructive malware on a website or answering a malicious email).

In addition, government workers must be mindful about how secure their everyday network communications are. To keep communications private and secure, government workers access various levels of secure networks. This is multi-level computing.

Examples of protected information networks include NIPRNet (private IP network), SIPRNet (classified), and JWICS (top secret). 

Government and military workers often use virtualization tools at the endpoint to most best access these networks. Today, the preferred virtualization tool is SecureView, developed by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and implemented by NCS Technologies.

The Preferred Way to Protect Government Data

Citizens, security vendors and agencies are in agreement that protecting sensitive data is a must. But it is a continuing challenge, with the definition of success constantly changing. As a recent report from Deloitte noted, the challenge of implementing effective government cyber security is an "obstacle to long-awaited digital transformation".  The security vendor Thales notes that "external threats are becoming more menacing and sophisticated".

The topic itself is extremely complex, including protecting databases and servers in data centers, locking down endpoints (like laptops and notebooks), and educating employees about everyday social engineering threats (clicking on destructive malware on a website or answering a malicious email).

In addition, government workers must be mindful about how secure their everyday network communications are. To keep communications private and secure, government workers access various levels of secure networks.

Examples of protected information networks include NIPRNet (private IP network), SIPRNet (classified), and JWICS (top secret). 

Government and military workers often use virtualization tools at the endpoint to most best access these networks. Today, the preferred virtualization tool is SecureView, developed by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and implemented by NCS Technologies.

Earlier this month, NCS was notified about industry-wide security vulnerabilities which affect the Intel-, AMD- and ARM-based products we provide. We are taking action to help our customers address their concerns.

Protecting Government Data With SecureView

A review of data breach incidents shows that foreign intelligence agencies remain focused on penetrating U.S. government organizations. Russia's ongoing hacking of U.S. assets are related to the historical competition between the two nations going back to the beginning of the Cold War. But Russia is not the only worry, as there are also worrisome hacking incidents tied to the Chinese People's Liberation Army and the China Ministry of State Security. From that part of the world North Korea also presents challenges. Close U.S. ally South Korea claims that North Korea pilfered classified military secrets tied to joint South Korea--U.S. operational plans. Finally, Iran remains a headache, and is linked to multiple malware and espionage incidents, in particular the hacking group that the company FireEye calls Advanced Persistent Threat 33.

U.S. government agencies must remain vigilant against all hacking threats, both known and unknown. And threats are real. Agencies that have been victimized include the National Security Agency, the National Archives and Records Administration, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Office of Personnel Management, the U.S. Postal Service, and the Internal Revenue Service.

SecureView government security, offered by NCS, helps locks down government secrets. It particularly addresses the need to protect employee acess to multiple protected networks from one workstation or PC.

Government and military are using virtualization tools at the desktop to most effeciently access these networks. SecureView, developed by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and implemented by NCS, is the virtualization solution of choice.

Protecting Government Data Is a Daily Challenge

As the year is drawing to a close, it's important to recognize that protecting IT data remains one of the most important tasks in the workplace. Data breaches involve many different circumstances, but the loss of government data is always significant - and painful. Well known data breaches have victimized the National Security Agency, the U.S. voter database, the National Archives and Records Administration, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Office of Personnel Management, the U.S. Postal Service, and the Internal Revenue Service.

Circumstances involving each data breach have been different. This blog addressed good security hygiene at the desktop level, where workers routinely access  information networks. Examples of protected information networks include NIPRNet (private IP network), SIPRNet (classified), and JWICS (top secret). 

More and more, the government and military are using virtualization tools at the desktop to most effeciently access these networks. Today, this is most effeciently done through SecureView, developed by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and implemented by NCS Technologies.

Equifax Data Breach Means Continued Data Security Vigilance is Essential

The massive Equifax data breach illustrates once again that organizations who have the most at stake in protecting secrets can still be vulnerable to catastrophic missteps and security holes. These security laps may cause harm for years and even decades.

Equifax is a publicly-held company. Its business as an international credit bureau by definition makes it the repository to some of the most precious personal data in existence. Yet due to poor controls, the credit histories of 143 million people have now been exposed to the bad guys. In a similar way, government agencies hold extremely valuable secrets, many related to private information or national security. In recent years government agencies at all levels have proved vulnerable to significant data losses. The data breaches are well known and include agencies such as the National Security Agency, the office of Personnel Management, the Georgia Secretary of State, the U.S. Postal Service, and the Internal Revenue Service. 

A critical aspect of good data security is protecting government information networks. Examples of protected information networks include NIPRNet (private IP network), SIPRNet (classified), and JWICS (top secret). To access these networks, agencies may use multiple Virtual Machines on a single PC or workstation to access different classification levels. This may be most effeciently done through SecureView, developed by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and implemented by NCS Technologies.